Dragons' Blood
by SilverIcefire
Summary: He found her in the field, and fate changed. But they still had much to learn about the past – and the future. MU's Awakening novelization (see AN note for details). T for violence/language/character death/some adult themes. COMPLETE.
1. Premonitions

**_Update!_** If you're coming here from Liirin's or galia-and-kitty's (or my!) DeviantArt, welcome! I hope you enjoy the story as much as the lovely illustrations that go along with it.

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 **Author's Note**

This preface was added retroactively to address the development of this story. This is a novelization of Fire Emblem: Awakening – in early chapters, you'll find that it follows the source content relatively 1:1. My purpose here was to delve further into character development for the many wonderful individuals who appear in FE:A, to flesh out the great potential that the original plot provides. This required a certain amount of backbone and setup from the source; as a result, the first few chapters read much like a prettied-up script, laced with all the campy joy that is Fire Emblem. But in the true spirit of a Classic run of FE, be prepared for more than a few darker turns than what one would see in the game. There's no save-scumming here.

Exactly two years and two days passed from my initial posting of Chapter 1 to the final upload of Chapter 25 and the epilogue, on this website Over those two years, my writing improved drastically, and the characters grew in directions that even I didn't foresee when I was going through original drafting ideas. I found myself diverting from the original storyline to facilitate a narrative that lends itself to _storytelling,_ as opposed to _gameplay . W_ e can't truly fault Nintendo for the way the story unfolds in the occasionally clunky manner, because a turn-based RPG tends to prioritize gameplay – and rightfully so .

That being said, it has been such a fantastic and nourishing experience to work on this project. This final draft is dedicated to all my wonderful readers who supported me "live" as each chapter rolled out, for their patience when I'd go on unpredictable hiatus, and for their constant feedback and encouragement. And a special thanks to galia-and-kitty and Liirin, the fantastic artists that helped breathe and paint this story into life. You'll find their artwork in this e-book, but I encourage you to take the time to check them out on DeviantArt as well!

I digress. Thanks for clicking, and happy reading!

The lovely cover image is a commission from Liirin as well :)

And here's the link to the illustration gallery for this story! (BEWARE SPOILERS!)  
(remove spaces, use . ) **imgur (dot com) /a/2Wdq0**

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem, nor any of the characters. Any excerpts of dialogue matching the original script belongs to them. They can have my original dialogue too, if they want.**

 _"Up there!"_

 _Her cloak billowed around her frame as she whipped around and looked to where Chrom had Falchion pointed. Validar had phased away from Chrom's last strike, blinking to the air above them. He laughed._

 _"You fool... Die!"_

 _The Grimleal cast a dark spell, and an orb of purple energy hurtled towards Chrom. She reacted with a counter-spell, a sphere of lightning that intercepted the orb and exploded both in a shower of fading lights. Validar hissed and teleported across the hall._

 _"Let's move," Chrom shifted his grip on his blade and took off towards the enemy. She met his eyes and with a brief nod, followed suit, but staggered back as an eddy of black smoke signaled Validar teleporting between her and Chrom, separating them._

 _"Why do you resist?" he purred, closing the distance between them in a shadow-cloaked step. "You cannot un-write what is already written." His hand latched itself to the side of her jaw, tipping her chin up with one claw-like finger._

 _His dark, resonating aura crept around the edges of her mind. She pushed it back, steeling herself as she stared at her reflection in his rufescent eyes, silhouetted against the darkness of the chamber. Her mind began to turn, like clockwork, as she formulated a plan. She set her jaw, forced herself to relax her shoulders, and slowly reached a hand towards him, palm up, as if to return his gesture._

 _"Don't!" Chrom shouted, already sprinting back towards them._

 _Smiling, Validar reached up to take her extended hand, and at the same moment, she drew her blade with her free hand and plunged the Levin Sword into his chest. His eyes widened in shock, and he released her hand to clutch at the jagged blade protruding from his ribs. Drawing her other hand back, she spread her fingers towards him, casting another spell: "THORON!"_

 _Validar flew across the room, hitting the wall with a dull thud, and Chrom reached her. "You had me worried there," he laughed, grasping her forearm. She offered him a reassuring smile, and he opened his mouth to speak again._

 _A strange premonition shifted her gaze behind him. Validar fell to his knees, clouds of purple and black magic swirling around him as his life faded away. Drawing in a rasping breath, he looked up to her. Her blood ran cold._

 _"This isn't over... Damn you BOTH!" As his body dissipated, another bolt of dark magic shot across the room towards Chrom, who was still turned towards her, a smile on his face. With no time to shout a warning, she threw herself forwards, casting him out of the way. He fell, his expression of shock illuminated by the violet light that lasted only a moment longer before disappearing into her chest._

 _She was engulfed by darkness for a moment, and when she opened her eyes blearily, she was on the ground, though she did not remember falling. Chrom's hand was on her back, pulling her up into a sitting position and straightening out her legs from where they had crumpled under her. She blinked a couple of times, feeling the softness of her hood framing her face._

 _"Are you alright? That's the end of him... It's over, we can rest easy now." He smiled and brushed his hand across her cheek. She started to move her hand to cover his, returning his expression, but froze abruptly, stiffening, eyes widening as her vision clouded and her head throbbed violently. Her breath caught in her throat, and she jerked backwards. Chrom grabbed her hand._

 _"What's wrong?" His voice sounded muffled, distant. A panic began to replace his smile as her head throbbed again and she was down on her elbows, the red shadows overtaking her vision. "Hey, hang o—"_

 _Chrom's voice cut off in a choked cry, and he released her hand. Her vision cleared, and she saw the remnants of a lightning spell dying out across her fingertips, and Chrom's hands wrapped around the bolt in his chest. She dragged her eyes away from her hand to look at him speechlessly._

 _He let out a gasp, and she tried to stand and run to his side, to do_ something _, anything, but she was rooted to the ground. Chrom sank to his knees. "This is not your—your fault..."_

 _She shook her head violently, tears slipping haphazardly from her cheeks. He moved a trembling hand from his chest, and reached out to grasp at both of hers, squeezing weakly. She looked down, unable to bear the emotion in his eyes, and saw his lifeblood on his hand, smearing across her palm. "Promise me..." his voice was hoarse, his breath coming with great difficulty. "Promise me— that you'll escape from this place... please..." She looked up to meet his eyes once before they slid shut, and the exalt slumped to the floor._

 _She screamed his name, but no sound left her lips. Instead, the room was filled with Validar's dark laughter as she wilted over Chrom's body. She felt the wetness on her cheeks stirred by an otherworldly wind, and her hood fell back, away from her face. She looked towards its source, towards the altar._

 _"Claim your destiny, my child... Give yourself to your fate."_

 _She heard his voice not in her ears, but in her mind, as the darkness crept towards her heart. She looked once more towards Chrom's face, and her heart sank deeper into her chest, giving way to a stygian void. Rising slowly to her feet, she tore her eyes from his lifeless form and set her gaze on the altar._

 _•_

 _•_

 _•_

"Chrom, we have to do SOMETHING!"

"Well, what do you propose we do?"

 _That voice..._

"I... I dunno... Pick her up, I guess! You can't just leave her out here."

There was a rustling sound, and then she felt an arm slip under her shoulders, lifting her slightly.

"Nngh..." With a small noise of discomfort, she cracked her eyes open. Looming above her was a young, blue-haired man, dressed in light armor and a silver pauldron, reflecting the garish sunlight. Seeing her eyes open, he paused.

"Oh, you're awake now." The man smiled. Another face peeked over his shoulder, a blonde-haired, petite girl with a childish face.

The girl giggled. "Hey there!"

"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know." He pulled her up to a sitting position, "Here, give me your hand." She blinked a few times more, her vision clearing, and lifted her hand into his.

As he pulled her smoothly upright, her eyes flitted down briefly to the strange, dark purple mark on the back of her hand, but he seemed to pay it no mind. For a moment she stood there, a little unsteady on her feet, his face markedly close to hers. She took a couple of steps back.

He regarded her curiously as she shuffled backwards. "You all right?"

"Yeah... thank you, Chrom."

"Ah! Then you know who I am? And would you care to introduce yourself?"

"Hm?" She blinked, and suddenly drew a blank. "I... it's strange, your name just... came to me. And my name is..." She furrowed her brow, and a lingering throb of pain pulsed through her forehead. She winced. "I'm sorry, but where am I, exactly?"

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "You don't know your own name?"

"Hey, I've heard of this kind of thing before!" the girl exclaimed, nudging him. "It's called _amnesia_!"

"It's called a load of Pegasus dung." A gruff voice hailed the approach of a broad-shouldered man clad in plate armor. "We're to believe that you remember milord's name, but not your own?"

"It's the truth." she shifted her weight, trying to keep her voice level, but fingered the fringe of her hood nervously.

She saw Chrom studying her for a moment, and hoped that he did not mistake her fear and confusion for the actions of an incompetent liar. He kept his eyes on her as he addressed the knight. "But what if it _is_ true, Frederick? What sort of Shepherds would leave a woman out here, alone and confused?"

The knight huffed. "All the same, milord, I should advise caution. It would not do to let a _wolf_ into our flock."

Chrom hesitated for a moment, then spoke again. "We'll take her back to town, hear what she has to say, and figure out what to do then," he decided abruptly, and with a nod, the three started to walk back along the road.

"Wait, what?" She startled and frowned, walking quickly behind them. "What will you do with me? Does this mean I'm your prisoner?"

Chrom laughed lightly. "No, no, no. You'll be free to go once we establish that you're not an enemy of the halidom."

"The halidom?" she echoed.

"You've never heard of Ylisse?" Frederick laughed. "Someone pay this actress. She plays quite the fool! The slightly agape mouth and wide eyes are especially convincing." Her frown deepened.

"Frederick, please," Chrom said, placing a hand on the knight's pauldron, before smiling kindly back at the woman. "This land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse, ruled by the Exalt, Emmeryn." She nodded, and he continued, "I suppose proper introductions are in order. My name is Chrom—," he paused, and gave her a curious look, "...but you already knew that. The delicate one here is my little sister, Lissa— _ow_ ,"

"I am NOT delicate!" She whupped her staff against her brother's back in protest. "Hmph. Ignore him, he's a bit thick at times. But you're lucky the Shepherds found you, rather than some brigands. _That_ would've been a rude awakening."

"...Shepherds?" She raised an eyebrow. "You tend sheep, in full armor?"

"It's a dangerous job," Chrom smiled. He had an easy, genuine, and slightly asymmetrical smile, his eyes crinkling slightly and one corner of his mouth turning a little further up than the other. "Just ask Frederick the Wary here."

"A title I shall wear with pride," Frederick scowled. "Gods forbid one of us keeps an appropriate level of caution." He half-turned to address her. "I have every wish to trust you, stranger, but my station mandates otherwise."

"I understand. I would do the same." She halted in her steps, a bubble of memory popping at the surface of her mind. "Oh... my name is... Elysa. I just – I just remembered that."

"Elysa?" Chrom repeated. "That's a lovely name. We—"

Lissa interrupted him with a cry. "Chrom! Look! The town!"

They turned to where she pointed. Just down the road, smoke rose from behind the treetops, and Elysa could make out the vague shapes of roofs, ablaze and crackling.

"Damn it!" Chrom cursed, "The brigands, no doubt... Frederick, Lissa, quickly!" He put his hand to the hilt of his blade, which caught her attention for a moment – rather than a traditional guard, the sword had an ornate, hollow circle separating the grip and pommel from the steel. It had an ancient, archaic look to it, and she felt a strange, powerful aura when she looked at it.

"Milord," Frederick hesitated, pulling on the reins of his horse, which chuffed in protest. "What about her?" He jerked his thumb towards Elysa, who flinched. But Chrom was already down the road.

"Frederick, unless she's on fire as well, it can wait!" he shouted over his shoulder. Lissa took off after him, kicking up small eddies of dust as she ran.

"Aptly put," Frederick grumbled, swinging up into the saddle with the sound of chafing plate armor, and cantered down the road to catch up with the other two so-called Shepherds.

"Wait—" Elysa tried to call out, but the three were already rounding a bend in the road. She walked over to the edge of the path and sighed, staring into the river. "Hm?"

Taking in her reflection, recognition resurfaced. She was dressed in the dark robes of a battle-tactician, and on her waist she bore a simple bronze sword and tome. Her hair was long, gathered half-up, and just a shade or two darker than Chrom's. It was also a disgruntled mess, with bits of grass stuck in it here and there. She flushed slightly in embarrassment. _Why didn't any of them say anything?_

As she meekly attempted to weed out the tangled bits of green and smooth out her hair, she pulled out the tome. The runes were familiar and simple; lightning magic. She glanced up at the rising smoke from the town ahead.

 _I'd bet I know my way around a fight well enough._ Without a further thought, she took off where the others had gone.

Approaching the town's small walled perimeter uncontested, she made her way to the town square. Sizing up the wreckage, she noted the small footbridge crossing the stream that separated the settlement. Chrom and Frederick were fighting bandits on the near side, while Lissa stood a little behind them, lifting her staff to mend their wounds even as they came. Elysa started towards them, but halted when she heard a scream from her left.

"S-stay away from me! Please!" A village girl had her back to the stream, one foot up against the small ledge. She trembled as a male bandit chuckled and moved towards her, a small, wickedly curved dagger in hand.

"Play along, my little lovely, and I won't hurt you... much."

Elysa narrowed her eyes, flipped her tome open in her left hand and cast with the right. The bandit was struck square in the back, and staggered slightly. The village girl took this opportunity to sprint past and scurry to the shelter of a nearby house. By the time the bandit had recovered, she had another spell prepared, and was already closing the distance. The man growled gutturally, his teeth bared in a snarl as he turned his dagger to meet her.

She loosed the second bolt of thunder at his arm, catching him in the shoulder, turning him slightly off-center for her to follow up with a slash across his now-open chest. The dagger fell to the dirt road with a soft clink, echoed by the thud of the bandit's body.

"Elysa!" She looked up. Chrom called out to her, having defeated the brigands across the way. Frederick had Lissa on the back of his saddle and was making towards the footbridge. "You followed us! ...why?"

"I'm... not sure. But if you'll have me, I'd like to help." She tipped her head slightly towards the downed bandit.

"Of course. Stay close!" She moved to his side. They took off after Frederick and Lissa, who were plowing through the remaining brigands. Elysa's attention was drawn to the cathedral centered at the back of the square, where a rugged-looking man was twirling his axe, a bit away from the fray.

"There," she indicated to Chrom with a nudge. "That's their leader. If we take him down, the others will probably scatter."

"Right," Chrom nodded, and sprinted forwards. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a bandit running towards him, and she caught up and pulled her blade into a parry, nudging Chrom out of the way. He staggered for a moment in surprise, then with a growl, turned and stabbed his blade through the bandit's back. "Thanks," he huffed, with a nervous laugh. "Wasn't paying enough attention. Are you alright?"

She nodded. "Don't worry about me; I'm fine, Chrom."

"You've lent us your strength, and for that, you're a friend. And having an ally by my side gives me courage." He clapped her shoulder, the earnestness of his words reflected in his glance. She nodded briefly in appreciation, catching herself with a smile before hurrying onwards, towards the brigand's leader.

He caught sight of her and grasped his axe more firmly. "Here, _sheepy-sheepy_... come to the slaughter!" He charged them then, and she loosed another bolt of lightning magic. Raising his axe to block it, he growled, and launched a jumping leap towards her, past Chrom, who made a glancing blow at the bandit captain's flank.

"Rrrgh!" He growled in pain, but did not falter, his momentum carrying him forwards. Elysa reached for her blade for a parry, knowing it would come a bit too late. But then there was a sickening crunching noise, and a dull thud as the brigand's body fell to the stone, Frederick's spear through his side. His eyes widened, he coughed once, shuddered, and was still.

She looked up to where the spear flew from, and caught sight of the mounted knight approaching from the bridge. "Thanks," Elysa breathed, lowering her tome with a shaking hand.

"Hmph." Frederick grunted, barely nodding in acknowledgement. "That's the end of that."

As the bloodrush of the fight began to leave her, Elysa's eyes wandered the battlefield. In the periphery of her vision, she saw the blood staining the edge of her sword, felt the magic slipping away, and an unsettled feeling drifted over her mind. It all felt oddly _right;_ she felt strangely at home on the battlefield. The mental dissonance didn't come from any sense of repulsion or gut-wrenching remorse at the scattered corpses, but moreso... the lack thereof. Not that she'd found any pleasure in taking lives, but—

"Holy WOW, Elysa!" Lissa jumped off of the back of the warhorse and ran up to her, taking one of Elysa's hands in both of hers, shaking the tactician from her reverie. "Swords _and_ sorcery; is there anything you can't do?"

"You're certainly no helpless victim, that's for sure." Chrom wiped his blade down and slid it back into its sheath.

"Perhaps she's even capable of an explanation of who she is and how she got here." Frederick added.

Elysa sighed. "I understand your skepticism, Sir Frederick. And I can't explain why only some things have come back to me. But I've shared all that I know; and even if it seems unlikely, that's all I have to offer... please."

Chrom stepped between them, looking up at the knight. "She fought to save Ylissean lives. My heart says that's enough. Frederick, the Shepherds could use someone with Elysa's talents. We've got brigands and unruly neighbors, all looking to bloody our soil. Would you really have us lose such an able tactician? Besides, I believe her story, odd as it might be."

She was surprised at his vote of confidence. "Oh... T-thank you, Chrom." She ducked her head. "I'd be honored to join you."

Frederick sighed in admission. "Milord, did you notice that the brigands spoke with a Plegian accent?" He changed the subject abruptly.

"Plegian?" Elysa inquired.

"Ylisse's westerly neighbor," Chrom explained. "They send small bands into our territory, hoping to instigate a war."

"And the townsfolk are the ones who suffer!" Lissa cried. "They're totally innocent, and helpless, and..."

"They do have us, milady," Frederick said reassuringly. "Shepherds to protect the sheep. Do not be swept up in your anger. It will cloud your judgment."

Lissa sighed. "I know, I know... Don't worry. I'll get used to all this. Eventually..."

A small crowd of villagers had assembled. "Milord, please! You must stay the night! We are simple folk of simple means, but we would gladly toast your valor with a feast!"

Lissa brightened immediately. "Dark meat only for me please, and no salt in the soup. I'm 'allergic' to mushrooms of every kind, and I greatly dislike daikon, but I love carrots! I'll have—"

"A generous offer, good sir, but I'm afraid we'll must make our way back to Ylisstol," Frederick interrupted.

"What?! But it's nearly dark!" Lissa whined.

Frederick looked over at her. "When night falls, we'll camp. Eat off the land, make our bed of twigs and the like... I believe you mentioned you would be 'getting used to this'?" He gave her a teasing wink.

"And you're not allergic to mushrooms..." Chrom muttered, his brow furrowing. "You're just a picky eater."

"Frederick, sometimes I hate you," Lissa pouted. She turned back to Elysa. "He never smiles unless he's about to bring down the axe, and he's stubborn and stern and—oh, I could think of a few other choice words..."

Frederick cleared his throat. "Milady remains amusing as ever. Shall we get going?"

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 **Thanks for reading! Please leave a review :)**


	2. The Road to Ylisstol

Elysa's eyes flickered open. It was still dark, and she was unsure what woke her.

"Mmph." She uncurled from her sleeping position, shaking out the "pins and needles" in the arm she had been using as a pillow. To her right, Frederick was still leaned up against the tree that he'd dozed off on. When she looked back towards where the fire was dying out, Chrom and Lissa were nowhere to be seen.

"Frederick," she whispered loudly, a strange sense of foreboding rising in her chest. "Frederick, wake up..." She stood warily and fumbled with her belts and sword, clipping them back around her waist. The knight stirred.

"Hm? What's the matter?"

"Chrom and Lissa are gone."

The burly man shot to his feet, contrary to the fact that he'd been completely unconscious seconds earlier. His horse whinnied in surprise at the loud clatter of plate armor. "Did you see them go?" He looked around, a scowl on his face.

"No, I—"

She was cut off by a thunderous explosion, and suddenly the sky was ablaze. The both whipped around and saw a great rift appear in the sky, not too far from their campsite, framed by fire and smoke. Staring into the rift was like staring into a nebula, filled with a swirling, otherworldly pocket of the universe. Figures began to drop from the rift, limp and grey.

"Gods, what is that?" Frederick grabbed his horse, which was braying and bucking, threatening to break the branch it was tethered to.

"Nothing good," Elysa said grimly, and started running towards it.

"Elysa!" She heard Frederick calling from behind her, but did not stop. Moments later, hoof-beats shook the ground, and she was pulled up into the saddle by a gauntleted hand. "Excellent thinking. 'Must be trouble, best we approach.'"

She turned and narrowed her eyes at him. "Have you no concern that your lord and lady are somehow involved?" She sensed something then, and out of the periphery of her vision, she saw a blue cloak disappearing into the bracken. "Did you see that?"

"We're coming up to a clearing. Eyes ahead!" Frederick commanded.

The bare area was lit with fire and rising smoke. In the sky, the rift had begun to slowly drift back shut. Chrom was holding Lissa's shoulders, trying to steady her shaking. "Frederick! Elysa!"

Frederick swung off his saddle and towards the pair. Elysa dimly heard him asking if they were hurt, but her attention was focused on the scattered shapes around the clearing, illuminated by the light of the flames that leapt from the trees and underfoot greenery. They were humanoid, but reeked of dark magic, with grey skin and glowing red eyes. One groaned and lurched towards them, leaning on a lance.

"Are such horrific creatures common in these lands?" She asked, tugging on the reins as she dismounted.

Chrom shook his head. "They're not from Ylisse, I promise you that."

"No one is injured, then? Thank the gods." Frederick sighed.

"Thank the masked man who saved me!" Lissa said. "If it weren't for him, I'd— hey, where'd he go?" Elysa remembered the figure she saw dashing through the trees, but her attention was pulled by Frederick and Chrom readying their weapons with the distinctive sound of steel being drawn from scabbard.

"We can worry about him later. After we put these... things to the blade!" Fredrick grabbed his horse and swung back up into the saddle, charging forwards with Chrom close behind.

"Are you sure you're all right, Lissa?" Elysa regarded the younger girl with concern. Lissa nodded. "Okay. Just stay with me, I'll protect you while you work your healing skills."

They started towards the fray, but another person bolted past them, and Lissa squealed, pressing herself to Elysa's back. In a flurry, Elysa saw the blue-cloaked figure from before, dashing forwards towards Chrom and Frederick. She opened her mouth to shout a warning, but the figure vaulted off of the ground, cutting down the creature coming up on Chrom's rear.

"That's the man from before!" Lissa pointed.

Elysa stared at him, a strange feeling in her chest. She couldn't quite name it, but it was almost a sense of... _protectiveness? Affection? Do I know him...?_ The mask he wore shielded any recognizable features.

"Captain Chrom! Hold on, I'm coming!" A female voice and the sound of hoof-beats announced the arrival of another player, a red-haired cavalier. Trailing behind her was a greenish-grey-haired man, a shortbow across his back, panting and wheezing. The cavalier twirled her lance. "All right, you ash-faced freaks! Which one of ya wants to try my lance on for size first? I know just the spot for it: shoved right up your—"

"Hold, milady!" The man interrupted, tugging on the woman's white horse's tail. It brayed in complaint and reared. She frowned and looked behind her.

"The hell—?"

The man grinned and made a sweeping, dramatic bow.

"Life may be long, but attraction is fleeting! Would you leave me in your sweet dust? Leave war to the warriors, dear bird! A beauty such as you need wage only love. Ah! Is the lady intrigued? Of course you are—it's only natural. I am myth and legend! I am he who strides large across history's greatest stage! The man who puts the "arch" in "archer"! My name, dear lady, is Vi—"

"Sorry, Ruffles, no time for—"

"V-VIRION! It's Virion. W-wait! Where are you going? Pray, at least tell me your name!"

"It's Sully." She scowled. "I'm a Shepherd."

"'Sully'! How divine! A starkly beautiful name, as befits its owner, truly. Will you marry me, my dearest Sully?"

"Will I _WHAT_ now?"

"I realize my manly figure and noble bearing can be overwhelming. 'Tis common! So please, don't feel pressured to answer right a—"

"How's THIS for an answer?!" Sully backhanded the archer.

"G-goodness, but those shapely hands certainly can hit as well as they deftly wield the lance, can't they... I'd bet they could—" Sully raised her hand again threateningly, and Virion cut off. "P-please, milady! Allow me to accompany you, at least! Mine is a cold, empty world without you. I shall be your most willing servant, and you, in turn, will give my life purpose..."

Sully sighed. "Fine... Anything to shut you up… Look what you've done! Now we've missed all the action."

Elysa and Lissa, who were both thoroughly distracted by the pair's strange flirtation, finally looked back towards the battlefield, where Chrom was approaching the masked man. Elysa moved towards them. As she approached, she caught on to their conversation:

"…you saved my sister's life. I never got to thank you, before. My name is Chrom, might I ask yours?"

Once she'd drawn near, she saw that the man wore a butterfly-shaped mask, which covered most of his face. Elysa thought she saw his head turn briefly towards her, and a frown flicker across his mouth, but he turned away in another blink, and she was unsure if it had even actually happened.

"You may call me Marth," he intoned. There was something off about his voice.

"Marth?" Chrom said, surprised. "After the heroic king of old? Well, you certainly fight like a hero. Wher—"

"No, I'm not here to talk about me," Marth interrupted. "I must warn you: this world teeters at the brink of a horrible calamity. What you saw tonight was but a prelude." With that, he turned and walked away, disappearing back into the tree line. They watched him go in silence.

"Not much for conversation...?" Elysa commented. She saw Marth glance over his shoulder slightly, right before the forest obscured him from their sight.

"I'd wager we'll hear his name again. But for now, I'm more concerned about the capital…" Frederick said grimly. "We should make haste."

* * *

They approached the city as the sun was reaching its peak in the sky. The streets were bustling with more people than Elysa could ever remember seeing – although she didn't remember seeing much at all at that time – and the houses were many, and packed tightly.

"Look! The exalt has come to see us!" Someone in the crowd cried out, and the people surged forwards.

"Emmeryn," Elysa said, remembering. "Is it really safe for her to be walking in the streets amongst the commoners like this?"

"The exalt is a symbol of peace— Ylisse's most prized quality," Frederick explained. "Long ago, at the dawn of our age, the Fell Dragon tried to destroy the world. But the first exalt joined forces with the divine dragon Naga and laid the beast low. Exalt Emmeryn reminds us all of the peace we fought for then.

"With Plegia poking at our borders, the people need her," Chrom added. "She's a calming presence, when some might otherwise call for war."

"Ylisse is lucky to have her, then," Elysa said.

"And, and!" Lissa piped up, "She's the best big sister ever!"

"Yes, I'd imagine—" Elysa halted. "Wait, what? She's your… doesn't that make you and Chrom—"

Frederick raised an eyebrow. "The prince and princess of the realm, yes. You remember Chrom's name and not this?"

"You said you were shepherds!" Elysa exclaimed.

"And so we are, in a manner of speaking," Chrom laughed. "We just have a LOT of sheep."

"C-chrom…" Elysa stuttered, "I mean, Prince Chrom! Sire! F-forgive my dreadful manners!" She dipped her head hastily, bending at the waist.

"Just Chrom is fine," he said, flicking her chin up and smiling warmly. "I've never been one for formalities. Oh, it looks like Emm is returning to the palace. Would you like to meet her?"

"I'd be honored."

Chrom grinned. "Excellent. Sully, could you take your, ah... suitor, to the garrison, and wait for us there?"

Sully glanced back at the "ruffly" man and rolled her eyes. "As you wish, milord. Come on, you, lets get a move on." She extended a hand to Virion, who gasped dramatically, bringing his hands to his face.

"Oh! Is milady to honor me by allowing me to sit upon her lovely steed, hands around her beautiful waist, as we canter along the — wait! Don't go! Come back!"

* * *

"Chrom! Lissa! Welcome home." Emmeryn turned as the doors to the great hall opened. Elysa noted that her appearance matched Lissa's, with long, curled blonde hair and bright, smiling green eyes. She wore a gold mantle and billowing green robes, and on her forehead, she had the same mark that Chrom bore on his left shoulder. "Oh, and good day, Frederick. How fared you all? And who is this you've brought along?"

"This is Elysa," Chrom said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Elysa blinked, looking at him in surprise at the contact. "She helped us fight off brigands in Southtown. We shouldn't have any bandit problems for a while."

"Wonderful. And our people?"

"We still need to watch the borders. The brigands crossed over from Plegia."

"Forgive me, Your Grace," another woman stepped up, bowing her head. "My pegasus knights should have intercepted them."

Emmeryn shook her head kindly. "No, Phila. Your duty was here, with the exalt."

"And besides, we had plenty of help," Lissa said, tipping her head towards Elysa. "Chrom's made her a Shepherd!"

Emmeryn smiled. "It sounds as though Ylisse owes you a debt of gratitude, Elysa."

Elysa bowed deeply. "Not at all, Your Grace," she murmured.

"Forgive me, Your Grace, but I must speak," Frederick said suddenly, "Elysa claims to have lost her memory, but it is only that: a claim. We cannot rule out the possibility that she is a brigand herself, or even a Plegian spy."

"Frederick!" Chrom said sharply.

"Yet you allowed her into the castle," Emmeryn said, her voice still calm and soft. "Does this woman have your trust, Chrom?"

"Yes. She risked her life for our people, and that's good enough for me."

The exalt looked back towards Elysa. "Well then, Elysa... It seems you've earned Chrom's faith, and as such, you have mine as well."

"Your Grace," Elysa bowed again, her racing heart slowing slightly.

Emmeryn turned to Frederick. "But thank you, Frederick, for your prudence, as always. Chrom and Lissa are blessed to have so tireless a guardian. I do hope they remember to mention that from time to time..."

"They occasionally express something akin to gratitude, Your Grace," Frederick said gruffly. "Phila, I assume you've heard about the deathly creatures we encountered, yes?"

Phila nodded. "Yes, milord. They've been sighted all across Ylisse."

Emmeryn's lips tightened. "Chrom, we were about to hold council. I was hoping you could join us."

"Of course," he said, looking to Lissa. "Show Elysa around, would you? And take care of her." Lissa nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Elysa, c'mon, there's a place I want to show you."


	3. The Northroad

**AN: Thank you to everyone who's been reading thus far! I'm trying to get as much done as possible before classes start, so you'll be seeing a lot of me for now.**

 **In this chapter, a lot of the other Shepherds are introduced, and I realize that some readers may not have played Awakening recently and/or not at all and may possibly need a reminder as to who's who, because I originally wrote this without much introduction of the supporting cast, so here's a brief overview of the Shepherds who are around from the beginning [Skip this if you know this stuff front and back]:**

 **There's _Sumia,_ the clumsy, newest Shepherd-in-training, **

**_Sully_** **, the tomboyish, gruff cavalier, Chrom's childhood friend,**

 ** _Virion,_** **a self-preoccupied archer, with an obsessive flirtative personality,**

 ** _Stahl,_** **the scatterbrained, but honest and dedicated cavalier,**

 ** _Vaike,_** **[aka "the Teach,"] the pompous, superiority-complex-ridden foot soldier, who's always misplacing his axe,**

 ** _Kellam,_** **the knight who always seems to be illogically forgotten or not noticed altogether,**

 ** _Maribelle,_** **the troubadour who's one year Lissa's senior, and dotes on her like the most obsessive older sister imaginable.**

 **Also, for more context, through a little research, there _are_ some official ages for the characters at the start of Awakening. Chrom is 19, your avatar can be 16/19/23, depending on build, Lissa is 15, Emmeryn is 25. There's an article or two on Tumblrs around that I used for reference regarding this; but copy/pasting links into story documents doesn't work for some reason?**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I still don't own Fire Emblem :(**

* * *

"And, here we are!" Lissa announced, finally releasing Elysa's hand as they approached they reached the Shepherds' garrison, not too far away from the main part of the city. "Oh, hey, Maribelle!"

A young woman, whom Elysa assumed to be Maribelle, dressed in fancy, frilly noble's attire, strutted across the courtyard, a sour expression on her face. In her hands, she held a lacy parasol, which she gripped delicately but purposefully, as one would hold a stiletto dagger. She marched right up to Lissa, and bopped the princess on the top of her head with the soft part of the parasol.

" _'Oh hey'_ yourself!" Maribelle shrieked. "I've sprouted about FOURTEEN grey hairs fretting over you! Lissa, my _treasure,_ I've been on pins and needles! I'd sit on the parapets _every_ _day,_ hoping to see you riding up the road with your _bimbo_ of a brother... two days, Lissa! TWO WHOLE DAYS, you were out there, prancing about in the wilds, getting up to gods-know-what on behalf of—"

"C'mon, Maribelle," Lissa pouted, "I can handle a couple of battles! Besides, Chrom was there to help out. And Elysa!" Lissa pushed the tactician forwards.

"Um," Elysa cleared her throat. "Pleased to meet you." She offered Maribelle a small bow. Maribelle scowled at her, unimpressed.

"Oh, beg pardon," a new, timid voice came from across the yard, and another young woman, clad in rose-colored armor, stepped up to them. "But when might we see the Captain?"

"Aw, Sumia," Lissa smiled at the newcomer. "It's so sweet of you to worry after Chrom!"

"Worry? Well, I..." Her face turned red. "He's our captain and our prince— of course I'd worry!"

At that moment, they heard the approach of a few horses at the garrison's gate. "Oh...!" Sumia ran forwards, but didn't make it very far before tripping over... seemingly nothing, and sliding a few inches on the dirt.

Elysa looked disdainfully at the pink heap on the ground, where Sumia had faceplanted upon seeing the prince's arrival at the garrison. She picked herself up, blushing furiously. Chrom made to help steady her, but she stepped back and stood up straight on her own. "Captain! You've returned! I was— I mean, we were—"

"Are you alright, Sumia?" Chrom asked concernedly.

"No! I mean, yes! I mean…" she let out the tiniest of sighs.

Chrom opened and closed his mouth without saying anything further, then turned to address the assembled Shepherds. "All right, everyone, listen up. At dawn tomorrow we march for Regna Ferox."

"Ferox?" Elysa winced at her lack of familiarity with the name.

"A unified kingdom, supposedly inhabited by _barbarians_ , to Ylisse's north," Vaike, a bare-chested man twirling an axe, said knowingly.

" _Warriors_ are what they are, and we'll need their strength to quell this new menace," Chrom said. "Typically, the exalt would request such aid in person. But given recent events... Well, the people might worry, should my sister suddenly leave the capital. So the task has been passed to us." The Shepherds murmured in assent, and Chrom dismissed them to make their necessary preparations.

Elysa moved towards him to ask a question, but Sumia, who had lingered, stepped in front of her. "Chrom? I–I, um…."

"Yes, Sumia?" he said, turning to face her, and noticed Elysa standing behind her, looking irked.

"It's just that… I'm not sure that I'm ready for a proper mission yet, and I was wondering if you'd exclude me from this expedition. I'd probably just get in the way rather than being any help to the rest of you. You'll have Vaike and Kellam and Stahl and Frederick and Lissa, and you'll be totally fine without me, so I think—"

"You can just stay behind the main group," Chrom interrupted. "If we meet a confrontation, just stay back, watch, and learn. Some lessons can only be learned on the battlefield. But this is your choice; if you're hesitant to come along, I will not command you to.

"W-well, if you think it wise, Captain."

"Stay by me, and you'll be fine." Chrom smiled warmly.

Sumia brightened. "Oh, yes! I mean—yes, _sir_! I mean— yes! I'll do that!" With that, she blushed and hurried off.

Elysa rolled her eyes.

"Will you be marching with us tomorrow, Elysa?" Chrom asked, finally addressing her.

"Hm? Oh, yes, of course. I got a bit of combat practice in today with the others, but I'm thinking I'll review some battle strategies before we leave. "

Chrom nodded. "You should relax a bit, put your feet up. With the march ahead and all that's going on, we might have little time to sleep or eat once we're on the road…"

Elysa smiled. "I do try to rest when I can. A lady needs her beauty sleep, after all."

"Oh," Chrom looked away, half-frowning.

"…What? Did I say something?" Elysa bit her lip.

"Ah… no, nothing. It's nothing. It's just that… I didn't consider you the type to care after beauty and such, and all those 'ladylike' things…"

"Excuse me?" Elysa stuttered.

"No-no!" Chrom put his hands up defensively, flustered. "I mean— I don't mean, not like— that is, to say, the definition of a 'lady'….Er, y-you know how you fight well, and you strategize, and— oh, not to say a lady can't fight, but— oh ,Gods, this is all coming out wrong."

"Goodness, Chrom… didn't they ever teach you manners in your fancy noble family schools?"

"Gods, yes, of course. We spent a whole term on etiquette. It was awful."

"Perhaps you could use another term," Elysa narrowed her eyes, "on how to talk with a lady."

"My image of a _ladylike_ lady is someone so prim, and proper, and perfumed, and pretty… nothing like you at all! When I look at you, I don't think of that 'lady.' Does that make— hey, wait! Where are you going?"

"Away from _you_ ," Elysa grumbled, making her way to the garrison building.

"Elysa! Wait! No! It was just a joke! You're... you're very pr... Come back!"

* * *

As planned, they marched for Ferox early the next morning. About five miles down the road from Ylisstol, not too far from the Feroxi border, they came across a field of tall grass. Elysa squinted slightly, making out a patch that seemed to be moving strangely, in a direction against the wind.

"There's something over there," she said, nudging Chrom and pointing to the spot, just a little way's off the path.

"Hm?" Chrom raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yes... I see it."

"Is that what I think it is?" Lissa exclaimed, running forwards.

"Lissa, wait!" Chrom sprinted forwards, past his sister, and into the tall grass. The grass moved more violently, and then the shape of a white horse burst into view, followed by a flurry of splayed, feathered wings.

"A pegasus!" Lissa squealed.

"Come no closer. The beast is crazed!" Chrom staggered backwards, away from the injured pegasus, which was rearing and whinnying frantically.

"Captain! I can handle this!" Sumia ran forwards, tripped, fell, and quickly picked herself up, hurrying to the flying horse's side. Elysa sighed.

"Sumia! Be careful!" Frederick warned.

"Don't worry," she said briefly, with sudden confidence. "Shh…. Easy now, girl, I won't hurt you… Shhhhh…" Sumia slowly moved into arm's reach of the pegasus, then reached out her hand and stroked its side gently. It chuffed, and pawed at the ground, but ceased making noise and flailing about.

"How did she calm it so quickly?

"That's incredible, Sumia!"

Chrom whistled. "I've never seen anything like it."

Sumia smiled shyly. "Oh, its… it's nothing, really. I just have a way with animals, I guess…"

"I should say so!" Frederick said.

"You all go on ahead," Sumia continued, "I'll dress her wounds and catch up as soon as we're able."

"We can make time to wait for you—" Chrom started, but Sumia shook her head.

"Thank you, Captain, but I can manage. Every moment is precious when Ylisse is in danger."

"Right, then. Be safe, Sumia."

"As you command, sir."

Their party continued on down the Northroad. Elysa trailed a little behind the main group, occasionally casting a glance over her shoulder, where the shapes of Sumia and the pegasus were gradually diminishing into the landscape. She frowned. No doubt, she was also impressed with the girl's way with animals, but something pricked at her stomach. The image of Chrom smiling appreciatively at Sumia flashed through her mind.

 _Is this... jealousy?_ Elysa shook herself, almost laughing at the notion, and hurried forwards, casting the foolish thought aside.

* * *

The climate changed abruptly and rapidly, the fields diminishing into a snowy, tree-lined landscape.

"F-f-f-frederick…I'm f-freezing!" Lissa shivered. Frederick moved up to her in response, pulling her to his side.

"Stand beside my horse, milady. She'll shelter you from the wind." Lissa nodded gratefully, and huddled up next to the warhorse's side.

Elysa squinted into the snowy fog. She could make out a towering wall, stretching as far as the eye could see on both sides, with stone parapets and a portcullis centered by the road. "So, I assume this is the fortress?"

Chrom nodded. "Yes, this is the Longfort. It stretches along the entirety of the border between Ylisse and Regna Ferox."

"Milord," Frederick called, "I would advise caution. The khans of Regna Ferox have grown extremely wary of foreigners, but do not mistake their lack of hospitality for open hostility. This may simply call for a bit of diplomacy."

"Mm," Chrom grunted, "Diplomacy has never been my strong suit, but I'll try my best."

"You could say _that_ again," Elysa muttered under her breath. Chrom turned and started to retort, but Frederick was shouting again—

"Trouble in the wind, milord! The Feroxi guard are mobilizing."

"What?! Why?" Chrom tensed.

"Who can say? But they look ready to let fly at a moment's notice," Frederick nodded grimly towards the parapets above the portcullis, where they could make out the outlines of lancers perched on the edge, their blades readied at their sides.

"Halt!" An armored figure stepped into the front and center of the battlement; their voice was gruff, but still distinctively female. "Who goes there?"

Chrom gulped and cleared his throat. "In the name of House Ylisse, I seek audience with the khans!"

"Back, bold _boy_!" The woman shouted. "I've my lancers at the ready. Not another step!"

"Hold, milady!" Frederick called. "We are not your enemy. Exalt Emmeryn sent us herself to seek diplomacy with your leaders in the interest of—"

She cut him off. "My only interest is keeping you out of Regna Ferox, _brigand_!"

"B-brigand?" Frederick stuttered incredulously. "Now, see here—!"

The woman scoffed. "You think you are the first 'Ylisseans' to try to cross our border? Hah! I hold the authority to fell such impostors where they stand."

"How dare you!" Frederick exclaimed. "You are in the presence of Prince Chrom and Princess Lissa, the exalt's own blood!"

"HAH!" The woman laughed boisterously. "Yes, and I'm the queen of Valm! You _do_ realize that it is high treason to impersonate royalty, do you not? Hmm…perhaps we should settle this the Feroxi way. If you claim to be the prince, prove it on the battlefield!"

"Ugh," Chrom gritted his teeth. "Emmeryn won't like this at all… Hold, milady! If you would just allow us to—"

"I've heard enough!" She bellowed. "Attack!"

Frederick jerked Lissa backwards roughly, out of harm's way, but Chrom still stood at the front of the party. "Chrom!" Elysa shouted to him, and he took a couple of steps back, but then stood his ground, still trying to shout reason to the general of the border guard. Elysa saw the lancers drawing back their arms, ready to loose fire.

" _Chrom!"_

She leapt forwards, reaching for him, but in a rush of air found herself knocked back into the snow on her rear. Scrambling up into a sitting position, she saw the place where Chrom had stood covered in an array of lances, buried in the ground. She heard heavy wingbeats diminishing into the sky, and looked up, and there was Sumia, on the back of the pegasus, Chrom flung unceremoniously across the back of her mount. Elysa's heart was racing furiously. "Thank the gods…"

In the sky, Sumia wheeled in the air, turning gracefully around to dodge the volley of arrows, and came up on the main party, pulling up and landing by their side. Chrom slid off clumsily.

"Oh, Captain, I'm so relieved I made it in time," Sumia cried, clutching at the pegasus's mane. She had crafted a makeshift saddle for it out of some spare cloaks and cloths, and she carried her spear in her right hand.

"That goes double for me…" Chrom huffed. "And this—? This is the same cantankerous pegasus we met on the road? Well, thanks to you both."

The pegasus brayed, and Sumia stroked its neck. "Daisy! She's a real sweetheart, once you get to know her."

Lissa giggled. "I think the pegasus is blushing!"

"And _I_ think we'd all better focus at the task at hand," Frederick growled. "They're coming." To put truth to his words, they all looked up to see soldiers descending from the battlements. He cast Elysa a sidelong glance. "Loathe as I am to trust you, I do believe you're our best option in this scenario."

Elysa's heart started racing again. "O-of course," she said, scanning the field. The lancers on the wall had been replaced with archers, while there were cavalry and foot soldiers descending from the stairs, and myrmidons assembling on the upper parapets.

"Sumia, your pegasus will allow you to have much greater mobility than the rest of us, but you'll need to stay clear of the archers. Take Virion with you, and see if you can get a flank on them." Sumia nodded, and reached out a hand to the frilly archer.

"B-but, milady Elysa, would you truly break the bonds between a man and his one true love?" Virion looked at her, pained, and Elysa ignored him, noting with satisfaction that Sully had marched up and bundled the smaller man aboard Sumia's pegasus, and the two took off, Virion wailing.

"Stahl, Vaike, Maribelle, Kellam—wait, where's Kellam?" She looked around.

"…Right here, milady," Kellam mumbled, and she caught sight of him standing just beside Maribelle and her horse.

"Ah, right…" Elysa frowned. For someone of his size, Kellam seemed uncannily good at being unseen. "You four, take the right flank. Frederick, take Lissa with you, and come with Chrom, Sully, and I; we'll go around the left. Once we both make our way up there, we'll meet up and find that ornery captain and deal with her."

The Shepherds all nodded, and assembled as she had directed, charging forwards to meet the enemy lines. They had little trouble cutting through the lines of Feroxi soldiers, and soon broke through the gates and made it to the upper battlements. Elysa had kept to herself, a little off to the side, as Chrom stood between Sully and Frederick, the three moving together in formation. She sniped off most of the archers with magic as they made their way up, drawing her sword to deal with the foot soldiers that got within dangerous range.

Her battle plan had been sound, and was clearly working to the dime, but she felt distracted; and furthermore, irritated with herself for the irrational source of her distraction. Chrom should've been sent with Sumia, but Elysa had decided against it. _But it_ _would be much more logical, in terms of battle strategy, had best swordsman rode with a flying mount for mobility's sake… as opposed to being grounded beside the—_

Her thoughts were cut short as she felt a stinging pain in her right arm, and looked to see her robe torn by a flying javelin, and immediately cupped her hand to the wound, trying to stem the bleeding. She turned to the lancer who had thrown the spear, who was just readying another weapon. Without waiting for him to so much as look back in her direction, she lifted her uninjured arm and cast a trio of lightning bolts, spearing the soldier from his stomach to his throat.

"Elysa!" She heard Chrom's voice then, and was shoved forwards as she heard the ringing of steel clashing. She rolled as she fell, to see that Chrom had parried a blow from a swordsman that was approaching her from behind. The prince quickly disarmed the Feroxi soldier, and knocked him out with a sharp blow to the side of the head with the hilt of his sword. He looked around to make sure that the area was clear, then bent to pick Elysa up off of the ground.

"Are you okay?" He noticed her injured arm, and the stain in the snow where she'd fallen. "Gods… Lissa!" He called to his sister, who turned in the saddle from Frederick's horse, and sent a stream of healing magic towards them. Elysa winced as she felt her torn flesh stitching back together.

"Gods," Chrom cursed again, "I'm so sorry, Elysa. I haven't even been keeping an eye out for—"

Elysa blinked. "It wasn't a bad wound... I'd think you'd be used to people getting injured in battle?"

Chrom met her eyes. "I suppose I take your safety for granted, seeing how well you manage on your own," he chuckled. "It feels as if you've been a Shepherd forever." He continued, "I find that friendships are sped along when we fight side by side. Don't be afraid to ask for assistance— in face, I'd be glad to have you at my back."

She smiled. "Thank you, I suppose I'll take you up on that offer," she said in spite of herself. _Wasn't I just_ _concluding that it made more logical sense for him to—_

… _.oh well._

* * *

Soon enough, they had cut down or disabled all of the soldiers that had been deployed, and the commander stood, defeated and disarmed. "So," she said gruffly, "your claims were true, then. A thousand apologies, Prince Chrom. I truly took you for impostors— but no frauds can wield a sword and wage a battle as you have. I will send word of your arrival to the capital immediately, and escort you there myself."

Chrom nodded. "Thank you. Might I ask your name?"

"Raimi," the general said. "In Ferox, strength speaks louder than words. I apologize again for my former lack of understanding."

"It's alright," Chrom said. He turned to his assembled party. "Let's get going. It's not getting any warmer."


	4. Regna Ferox

"Welcome to Regna Ferox."

Behind them, the drawbridge began to rise with a difficult groan, the old chains straining on their pulleys as Raimi nodded to the guards. It came to a halt with a hollow click that seemed to echo through the foundations of the ancient Feroxi palace, disturbing a bit of dust from between the mortar here and there.

"I'll go let the khan know that you're here. I believe she may be expecting you." The general gave them a small bow, and then headed off to the left.

" _She_?" Chrom said, surprised.

"Can a _lady_ not be the leader of a warrior realm?" Elysa said dryly.

"You know I find it… difficult to converse with women," Chrom muttered. "I'd think it might be best if you, Lissa, and I spoke with the khan alone. Frederick, take the others and go find sleeping accommodations for us for tonight and rest up, would you? It's been a long march."

"Chrommmmm," Lissa whined, "as if _I_ don't need to rest up too?"

He looked at her sternly. "You represent House Ylisse," he said. "Your presence at meetings like these is part of your responsibility as part of the royal family."

Lissa huffed, but did not protest further. She watched with a scowl on her face as the other Shepherds moved off down the path along the inner roads. Turning back to the towering keep, she tipped her head back to look up at the ramparts, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hands. The palace was built more like a coliseum than a place for habitation, shaped like a great hollowed-out circle. The ramparts were lined with multi-colored flags and guards patrolling the perimeter, with archers peeking out from every tower. "Should we go in? Or wait for Raimi to come back?"

"Odds are that the khan is training," Chrom said. "Perhaps it would be best for us to enter and wait for her in the main hall?" Lissa and Elysa half-nodded, half-shrugged in agreement, and followed him as he approached the keep. The guards pulled the tall iron doors open for them as they stepped forwards.

The grand hall was built of the same pale-greenish stone that the rest of the castle was hewn from. The center was lined with a thick, dark blue carpet, which led up to a set of stairs and a raised area, where there was a long table with several chairs lined up on one side. Braziers flanked the carpeted aisle, illuminating the space with flickering light.

From the far side of the hall, one of the side doors opened, and dark-skinned, blonde-haired woman in red armor stepped through. Her helm was tucked under one arm, and a sword swung at her waist. She wiped the sweat off of her brow with the back of her free hand, and huffed audibly. Catching sight of the Ylisseans, she made her way across the hall. "Greetings, Prince Chrom." Her confident stride was matched by her even, deep tone.

Chrom gave a small bow. "You're the— the khan, I presume?" Elysa elbowed him.

"One of them, yes. I am Flavia, the east-khan. My apologies for the troubles at the border. Please know that you are welcome in Regna Ferox." She said formally, her brown eyes filled with amicable warmth.

"Is it true that bandits posing as Ylisseans have been ransacking your border villages?" Elysa asked.

"Yes," Flavia said, her jaw set. "Plegian _dogs._ We found documents proving as much on the corpse of one of their captains. Plegia must see some benefit in raising tensions between your kingdom and ours."

Chrom cursed under his breath. Elysa elbowed him again. "Forgive me, Your Grace," he mumbled. "That was… indelicate of me."

Flavia laughed. "To hell with delicacy! Here in Ferox, we appreciate plain speech."

"Then you should have a word with your damn border guards," Chrom said.

"Ha! Now _that's_ Feroxi diplomacy. I like you already," Flavia grinned widely. "Unfortunately, I know why you have come, prince, and I am unable to meet your needs; I cannot provide any Feroxi troops for Ylisse."

"What?" Lissa exclaimed. "Why not?"

"I lack the authority," Flavia explained. "As I stated before, I am the east-khan. Every few years, the east-khan and the west-khan hold a tournament, and the winner holds full power over Regna Ferox. The west-khan, Basilio, won the last tournament, you see…"

"So we are to receive no aid at all?" Chrom sighed.

"Not if you give up so easily!" Flavia exclaimed. "The next tournament is nigh, and I am in need of champions. Raimi informs me that you 'Shepherds' are quite capable. Perhaps you could consider representing the East in the tournament, on the morrow? If you win, and I become ruling khan, I will grant your alliance and supply you with our troops."

Chrom hesitated. "It seems out of place, does it not, that Ylisseans should have any role in such Feroxi traditions—"

"There is no choice, Chrom," Elysa cut him off. "If fighting for her is the fastest way to gain the support of Regna Ferox, then we must do so."

"The people need this," Lissa added. "Not only do we have the Plegians causing trouble, but now the Risen, too…"

"Then we will take up our steel," Chrom nodded.

Flavia chuckled. "Oh, I _do_ like you, Prince Chrom. I hope you survive the tournament! Be wary— I hear that an equally able swordsman champions the west-khan."

"He shall be defeated by Ylisse's necessity."

The khan guffawed with laughter. "Well spoken! Come, I will show you the arena where the tournament is held now, then you should get some rest in preparation. I look forward to seeing if you live up to the rumors of your swordsmanship..."

* * *

Elysa pulled her cloak a little more tightly around herself as a shield against the brisk night. It was a while after sunset, and most of the Shepherds had gone to rest for the night, but she had gone off on a walk down the streets of the Feroxi town. She perused the empty market stalls and candle lights flickering in the windows of the apartments lining the street.

She came to the building where the Shepherds had taken up rooms for the night, and saw most of them had their lights snuffed out already. _I should probably follow suit,_ she thought, pulling the oak and iron door open with a soft creak and stepping in to the common area.

To her surprise, Sumia was sitting, awake, at one of the tables, a small pile of books by her elbow and a candle before her, illuminating the volume that she was absorbed in. The pegasus girl looked up at the sound of the door. "Oh! Elysa!"

"Evening, Sumia," Elysa replied, yawning. "Not tired?"

"Ah, not quite yet. I picked up a couple of books from the market this afternoon, and this one's caught my attention." She flushed. "I've got a bit of a soft spot for fluffy romance and outlandish fairy tales."

Elysa found herself smiling. "Although I don't remember much about what I used to do to pass the time, I do know that I enjoy a good book. Mind if I join you?"

Sumia brightened. "Of course not, here!" She stood and pulled another chair over, beckoning Elysa over with a tip of her head. "I think you'd like this one— _The Origins of Regna Ferox_. Oooo, or this one! _Myrmidons and Other Swordsmen's' Strategies_?" She eagerly pushed both over to Elysa, jarring one of the candles in the process, which swayed dangerously. Elysa winced, reaching out to steady it. She felt a bit of hot wax drip onto her hand.

"Maybe you'll pick up some new battle tactics from those?" Sumia asked hopefully.

"I'd bet that I learned most, if not all of what I know about strategy and magic through reading," Elysa murmured, thumbing through the first couple pages of the Feroxi history book. "But who knows, maybe I had some genius parenting."

"I've got my parents to thank for everything that I am," Sumia smiled fondly. "They're old now, and they tend a pegasus farm out in the Ylissean countryside. I spent my childhood days playing with the pegasi and reading under the tall trees on our land— I tried to climb them to sit amongst the branches, but I always ended up falling down… eventually, my father convinced me that I could be like the heroes in my books, if I trained hard and had faith in myself, I could overcome all of my clumsiness and shortcomings, and actually make a difference to the Ylissean cause."

"So that's why you wanted to be a Shepherd? Explains your affinity with the pegasus, as well."

Sumia nodded. "I'm still in my training, technically, but since we're on the road and I've got that sweetheart – Daisy, I've named her, did I mention? – I suppose Chrom's letting me just ride with our party as a pegasus knight. That's been my dream. My closest and dearest friend, Cordelia, she's one of the best. I think she's out defending the borders with her knight-sisters now. That's what I'd like to do, be on the Ylissean border patrols, and get to see as much of the land as possible."

"I wonder how much of the world I've truly seen," Elysa pondered. "I think much of this world we can expose ourselves to through literature almost as much so as physical travel."

"Yeah. I like to read these days to escape from all the ruckus of the real world."

Elysa studied her carefully. She'd judged the younger girl for her shyness and obvious affections for Chrom, but Sumia's words spoke of a different side. _Perhaps her klutzy overzealousness comes from honest determination_. She yawned again. "I think I need to turn in for the night, Sumia," she said. "I did enjoy this chat. Perhaps we could sit and read together sometime?"

Sumia smiled and nodded eagerly. "Yeah! I'd love that! I liked talking to you too. Thanks for listening to me ramble on, haha..." She laughed nervously. "You can go ahead and take those two books with you, if you'd like to read them sometime. I've got plenty as it is."

"Really? Well, thank you," Elysa said graciously. "I'll definitely go through them sometime soon. Make sure you get some rest tonight as well, yeah? We need you in shape for the tournament tomorrow."

"Of course." Sumia nodded again. "Sleep well, Elysa."

* * *

"Listen up," Chrom said, surveying the Shepherds he'd chosen, on with Elysa's advice, for the tournament. "Lissa, I want you to stick with Frederick. That'll put you in the safest position to monitor our healing needs. Virion, you and Sully—"

"OH! My lady! What wondrous fortune! What—"

Chrom continued, "—you and Sully will stay close me, in the center of the fray. Sumia and Elysa, fly around the bottom side of the arena and try to get a flank on them."

Elysa nodded along at his words. She was pleased that he'd taken her advice to heart. The platform of the arena itself was not too large, and surrounded by empty space, the bridges leading up to it having been pulled up in preparation for the actual battle. It would give Sumia a good opportunity to maneuver, hopefully unseen, to give the Shepherds an extra edge.

"From what we've gathered, it's mostly a free-for-all out here," Chrom said. "We fight until one side's champions are unable to fight—disarmed or dead, it doesn't seem to matter. I need you all, you hear me? If you find yourself in a situation where you know that you cannot win, lay down your arms and surrender. Understood?"

The Shepherds nodded, and moved into formation. Across the stage, the west-khan's champions dispersed similarly. At the front and center stood a familiar masked figure.

"Chrom," Elysa said, as she moved over to sit up behind Sumia. Daisy chuffed feistily at her second rider.

"I see him," Chrom said. "Marth!" he called.

Marth silently stepped forwards, and Chrom moved up as well to meet him in the center of the arena. The masked man half-turned, unsheathing his blade and taking a fighting stance. Even as she and Sumia moved off, Elysa saw that his blade was identical to Chrom's.

"Where did you get that….?" Chrom's grip on Falchion tightened, and he drew a sharp, audible inhale. "There's no way…"

"Hyah!" Marth charged him then, choosing to speak with steel in response to the prince's questioning. Chrom gritted his teeth and parried, the blow glancing away from him. He turned as Marth moved past, rebalancing himself to face the other swordsman. As Marth made his pivot at the completion of his charge, Chrom leapt into the air, coming down towards Marth with a spinning blow. Elysa winced, as the masked man did not move, but at the last minute, he raised his blade in a perfect parry, and Chrom collided with a clear note, orchestrated of their steel. Chrom rolled with the recoil, landing on his feet, back by Elysa's side.

"Who taught you to fight like that?!" Chrom exclaimed, breathing heavily.

Marth readied his blade once more, teeth clenched. "My _father_!"

"Sumia, let's go," Elysa urged the pegasus knight to action, as the rest of the tournament seemed to spring into action. Chrom regained his footing and charged, meeting Marth in the center of the arena. Elysa watched a fighter on horseback, who was circling around for a charge at the prince. He spun the lance with a flourish, and Elysa sent an _elthunder_ at him, the ball of lightning catching him in the shoulder, knocking him off-balance. There was a whizz through the air and an arrow embedded itself in his horse's flank, causing the steed to rear and buck, throwing its rider to the ground. Sully's horse charged past, Virion readying another arrow as the cavalier took it upon herself to bash the fallen rider in the helm with her lance.

Elysa looked about the arena then, and saw that things were going quite well in the east-khan's favor. Sumia wheeled in the air, coming around for a follow-up attack on the knight. Elysa sent another bolt of lightning at an archer threatening the pegasus. He rolled along the ground, along with the knight as Sumia knocked him off his saddle. They saw another motionless figure defeated, a sorcerer, with an arrow protruding from his chest. "Okay, I'm going down now," Elysa said, slipping off of the pegasus's back and dropping a few feet to the arena floor.

A clatter of steel rang out close to her, and she instinctively jumped out of the way as something went skittering past. Regaining her balance, she turned to see what it was, and her gut clenched when she saw a recognizable blade spinning a few meters away. _Falchion._

Looking back to where she'd last seen Chrom and Marth, she realized that her fears were misplaced. Marth was on the ground, half on one knee, bent in surrender, while Chrom had the _real_ Falchion held on guard. Marth said something, raising both hands, and Chrom nodded, sheathing his blade. The crowd was cheering; the tournament was over.

Elysa exhaled heavily, and moved to pick up Marth's blade. She walked over to the masked man and offered it to him. He nodded his thanks and took it from her wordlessly.

"Well fought!" The drawbridge had come down, and Flavia was trotting across to congratulate her champions, grinning from ear to ear. "You have my respect—and more importantly, your alliance. I will provide Ylisse with the soldiers she needs."

"Truly? I mean... thank you!" Elysa sighed, but smiled at Chrom's informal response.

"I should thank you!" Flavia laughed heartily. "It feels like ages since I've held full power. Come, my new friends! Tonight, we celebrate!"


	5. War Upon Us

"AWAY, WOMAN!"

Lissa stepped back, looking hurt. "Come ON, Lon'qu. I get that you have girl issues, but Chrom's assigned you to protect me and—"

Elysa laughed. "Maybe it'll just take him a while to warm up to you, Lissa. Give him time."

Lissa pouted at the myrmidon. "What's your problem with women anyway?"

"I find them… disconcerting." Lon'qu grumbled. He shuffled a little further down the path, creating more space between the Ylissean princess and himself.

"Can you even guard me from that far away?"

"I can close the distance in the blink of an eye."

"…well, how are we supposed to be best buds if youre all the way over there?"

"…we are _not_ 'best buds.'"

Elysa sighed and walked past them to where Chrom was leading the party, back down the road towards Ylisstol. "Are there really attempts on her life?" she asked. "Or are you just toying with the poor man?"

"I'd rather be safe than sorry. And of course I'm not trying to make a fool of him; he's one of Basilio's best men. We're lucky to have him on our side."

"Yeah. I'm glad the defeated khan was amicable about it. And perhaps Lissa will warm his warrior's cold heart," Elysa laughed.

"If anyone can, it'll be her," Chrom chuckled.

She turned her eyes back to the road ahead. "If I recall from the march here, we should arrive back in the capital by nightfall. I'm glad we have good news for your sister."

Chrom tightened his lips. "It surely won't disappoint her, but Emmeryn would always choose the path of peace, at whatever costs. I can't see her leading Ylisse into war, even with all of the recent altercations at the border."

"Milord!" Sumia called out from behind. The beating of her pegasus's wingbeats hailed her rushed arrival to the front of the column. "Up ahead. Do you see?"

Shielding her eyes from the sun, Elysa squinted at the sky before them. She made out the shape of several airborne pegasi, rapidly approaching. "Everyone!" Chrom shouted. "Be ready!"

Elysa's hand went to the tome at her belt, and she heard the others drawing their weapons. But the pegasi were well within view now, and she could make out the saddle-cloths, adorned with the colors and patterns of House Ylisse.

"It's Phila," Elysa said, lowering her hand. "Why is she out here?"

The tension in the air thickened as the five pegasi wheeled down towards them, landing on the road a little ways ahead. Chrom inhaled sharply. "Emmeryn?!"

The exalt herself swung gracefully off of the saddle behind Phila. The other pegasus knights flanked her as she moved towards the Shepherds, looking around warily. Emmeryn's face was taut with worry.

"Emm, what are you doing out here?" Chrom rushed towards her. She bit her lip delicately, the corners of her eyes tugging downwards.

"I bring grave news," she said. "Lady Maribelle—"

"Maribelle?" Lissa cried. "What's happened to her?"

Emmeryn shook her head, reaching a hand out to pull Lissa close to her. "Themis was attacked by Plegian soldiers within our southwest border. They took the duke's daughter, Lady Maribelle, captive, and King Gangrel accused her of invading his country, demanding reparations for this 'insult.'"

"We're to believe a dastard like the Mad King of Plegia?" Frederick growled.

"I offered parley with Gangrel," Emmeryn continued, "to sort the truth of it all. So Phila and the pegasus knights took me to the border to meet with him. We arrived, and he had brought with him many soldiers... and a woman, a dark pegasus knight who called herself 'Aversa' – and he laid out his terms: peace, in exchange for the Fire Emblem."

A memory ghosted the periphery of her consciousness, but when Elysa tried to hone in, it slipped back into obscurity. She frowned, frustrated, and asked: "The Fire Emblem?"

"Ylisse's greatest treasure," Chrom said. "Legend says that it grants wishes— and in the distant past, it was entrusted to the first exalt to save the world and its people at its hour of greatest need."

Emmeryn nodded. "I told him that I could not give him what he asks for, and in response, he…" she tightened her grip around Lissa's shoulders, "...he dropped Lady Maribelle from the cliff."

Lissa paled. "No… n-no…"

Emmeryn closed her eyes. "The last conflict with Plegia left Ylisseans homeless and starving, and nearly ruined the halidom. But we have no choice in the matter... Gangrel's men continued to attack our party as well, but we managed to lose them."

"We must fall back to the capital as soon as possible and regroup," Chrom said.

"It seems war is upon us," Emmeryn said softly. "We must protect the Ylissean people at all costs."

* * *

"Ah," Elysa frowned at the scarlet line that appeared on her finger, and the page of _Origins of Regna Ferox_ fell back into place. She stuck the paper-cut into her mouth, making a face at the taste of blood, and winced. Running her touch across the cut gingerly, she sighed, and placed the book back on the nightstand.

It was close to midnight. Looking out the window, the castle halls were lit by the flickering lanterns along the walls and hanging from the ceiling, but the night was bright on its own, the cloudless sky hosting an array of starlight.

She stood and stretched, and became aware of her clothing; she was still in her traveling clothes, although her black cloak had been tossed over a chair in the corner of the room. She sighed again, realizing that she should take the opportunity to bathe while the Shepherds were still in Ylisstol, before they may need to spend many nights out on the road once more.

Taking one of the towels off of the hooks that hung on the door, she turned purposefully and twisted the knob, pulling the wood-and-iron door open with a soft creak. She blinked in surprise to see someone standing directly on the other side of the threshold.

"Oh!" Chrom lowered his hand hastily, clenching it at his side. "I was meaning to knock— I, uh... How did you know I was out there?"

Elysa raised an eyebrow. "I was headed to the baths," she said. "What are you doing outside my door so late at night?"

"Just… dueling with some unpleasant thoughts." The prince furrowed his brow. "I apologize for bothering you, I suppose I wasn't very mindful of the hour." He turned to go, but Elysa pulled on the edge of his sleeve, stepping through the door herself and pulling it shut behind her.

"Come, let's walk," she said.

They moved out into the courtyard, pausing on the path by the grassy opening. Chrom was silent for a few moments, then he spoke. "There's something I want you to know before we march back to Regna Ferox tomorrow and continue this campaign... Not everything Gangrel said was a lie. The last exalt, my father, waged war on Plegia for many years. The violence... It was a brutal war, ending only with his death fifteen years ago.

Plegia rightfully remembers their suffering, but my father's war was no kinder to his own people. As the fighting dragged on, our army became more and more diminished. Farmers who could barely wield a pitchfork were conscripted and sent to their deaths. Soon there was no food at all, and the kingdom began to collapse. I was young, but I remember those dark times. I know how they affected Emmeryn... When our father died before her tenth year, he left her quite the legacy: Plegia's desire for vengeance, our own people's unbridled rage... my sister became a target for blame from all sides. Her own subjects began to hurl insults – and stones. She still bears the scar from one... But she never let them see her pain. It was only known to Lissa and I."

"I'm sorry," Elysa said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder gently, instinctively. "It must have been hard. And such an experience would change anyone; while it was Emmeryn's duty to bear the brunt of the Ylissean legacy, surely those times were not kind to you, either." He looked up at her and half-smiled.

"I cannot claim to know how she does it, Elysa. I could never greet such hostility with warmth and patience. While our people mocked and vilified her, she reached out and healed them. She brought soldiers home to their families. She ended the war. She represents the best of the halidom, the part most worth protecting. She _is_ peace. But some men would take advantage of that; men like King Gangrel." Chrom gritted his teeth. "The day he understands peace will be the day death gives it to him... So perhaps _I_ must be death's agent. Emmeryn would never order him killed, nor would I wish her to have to live with that guilt."

A dark tone crept into Chrom's voice, one Elysa had not heard before. She opened her mouth to speak again, but another voice interrupted her.

"Well spoken, sir." Elysa turned and saw another figure silently entering the scene.

"Marth," Chrom said.

The masked man tipped his head. "Good evening to you."

"How did you get in here?" Chrom looked around warily.

Marth nodded behind him. "The cleft in the castle wall, by the maple grove. But fear not; your secret is safe with me. I came here only to warn you."

"Warn us?" Elysa said tersely. "Why should we trust you, after you've tailed us all the way back from Ferox and snuck into the castle by a secret means?"

"I…" Marth paused. "What if I had told you I'd seen the future? A future where Emmeryn is killed, here, tonight?"

"I'd tell you you'd lost your wits," Chrom said with a short laugh.

Marth tightened his jaw, in a way not unlike Chrom. "I expected you wouldn't believe me… so allow me to prove it."

"What?"

Marth drew his blade. Elysa tensed, realizing she was unarmed, and saw Chrom's hand move to Falchion. "I'm about to save your life," Marth said evenly, "from him." In one smooth movement, the swordsman drew his blade and threw it into the air. Not a second after, the bushes rustled, and a brown-cloaked figure burst into the open, a short dagger drawn. He made to leap for Chrom, but Marth somersaulted backwards, catching his blade and cutting the assassin down across his back.

"...will that suffice?" He said, turning back to Chrom and sheathing his weapon.

"Y-yeah..." Chrom said, wide-eyed. Elysa saw a movement behind Marth.

"Watch—"

A second assassin rose from the brush, and Marth spun too quickly, slipping on the blade that the first enemy had dropped. The assassin's sword swiped across Marth's face, and he cried out. Chrom darted forwards and plunged Falchion into the assassin's chest before he could recover from his first swing. Marth had turned from the recoil from the blow, and Elysa saw that he was unharmed – but _he_ , in fact, was a _she..._ the butterfly mask had been split in two, and revealed a pretty, feminine face.

Chrom spun around, grabbing Marth by the shoulder. "Are you al—" He paused, a look of utter puzzlement on his face. "...wait, you're a woman?"

She laughed, a little nervously. "And quite the actress, too." Elysa felt the same strange pang of emotion that she'd felt when they first encountered Marth in the woods, even moreso at the first glimpse of her face in full. The side of her mouth turned up slightly when she spoke. "Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't figure it out until just now."

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the palace foundations, and they all turned towards its source: the inner chambers.

"Emm," Chrom said, his eyes widening in horror. He took off back down the halls, Marth close on his heels. Elysa dropped the bath-towel on the ground, beside the two fallen assassins, darted quickly back into her room to collect her tome and sword, then followed suit.

The hallway made a tight turn at the end of the row of guests' rooms, into a large, rectangular room, lined with the quarters of the captains and other figures of Ylissean importance. On either end of the room were a flight of stairs, and between them, Emmeryn's chambers.

There was a gaping hole in the floor at the center of the room, surrounded by stones and other debris. By the sound of running water and the damp smell that emanated from the pit, Elysa assumed that the assassins had made their way through the city's irrigation and drainage system, then blown their way into the palace with explosives. A few trailing armed figures made their way out of the hole. There were about ten of them in total, and Chrom and Marth hesitated at the entrance to the hall.

"If we take out their leader, they'll scatter," Elysa said, nodding to a taller figure, clad in mage's robes, who stood at the center of their small formation. "I don't think they've noticed— _Marth!_ Wait!"

Elysa reached out to pull Marth back, her hands closing on empty air, for Marth had already taken off, rounding the corner ahead. Elysa took off after the other woman without a second thought, refusing to leave her to enter the fray alone. Chrom stayed close on her heels. Marth pulled to a halt by Emmeryn's door at the top of the hall.

"What are you doing? Chrom?!" The exalt looked at her brother, green eyes wide with distress. "And who... who is this? Run while there's still time!"

"Stay where it's safe, Your Grace," Marth called, drawing her blade. "I will not let them pass."

"We're not going anywhere, Emm," Chrom said gravely, following suit. "Stay behind us. More help is surely on the way."

"It will be too late," Emmeryn urged. "Please, Chrom—"

"What's this?" The tall mage that Elysa had noted earlier had started making his way towards the four of them. " _Two_ assassins, and the princeling is not so much as wounded?" He growled, whipping around to address his cohort. "We want the Emblem in my hands and the exalt dead on the floor, you hear me?" The group of invaders looked nervously at the two swordsmen and tactician at the top of the stairs, but nevertheless obeyed, splintering from formation and making their way up the room from every angle.

"Milord!"

Elysa's heart leapt at the sound of the familiar voice. From the hallway to their left, Frederick, Lon'qu, Sumia, Cordelia, Stahl, Virion and Sully came running, weapons drawn and on guard. (Kellam was there, too.) They took in the scene before them, bewildered – but when Frederick gave a battle cry and charged towards the nearest assassin, the others followed suit.

"Marth, Elysa, stay by Emm's door," Chrom said. "I'm going to take out their leader." Marth nodded firmly, surveying the area and orienting her attention to the enemies who seemed to be the nearest and largest threat to the exalt. Elysa watched Chrom skirt his way through and around the fray, then turned back to Marth. Despite her initial misgivings, there was something about Marth that she felt she could trust; and clearly Chrom felt it as well, or he wouldn't have left her to personally guard his sister.

She felt a sudden disturbance behind them, a prickling on the back of her neck. Whipping around, she saw the eddy of black magic as the dark mage materialized right next to Emmeryn's door. "Marth!" She called in warning, but the other woman was preoccupied with another assassin. Tightening her hand on her tome, she dashed forwards, in between the mage and Emmeryn's door.

"You will not harm her," she said as steadily as she could. She now saw the man's face clearly for the first time. He had a deathly pallor about him, and a thin, gaunt face, highlighted by a pointed outline of a beard and long black hair. His eyes were small and narrow, and gleamed with unsettling malice, a deep red color. She saw herself mirrored in them.

The man's scowl stayed plastered across his face as he _hmphed,_ raising his hand to cast a spell, but then he paused. "You… I know you…." A smile curled across his lips. "So, after all this time, fate has brought you back to me, my dear."

A chill ran down Elysa's spine. "I don't know who you are," she said firmly, "and if you're someone I've lost in my memory, under the present circumstances I don't feel too inclined to get to know you again."

"Hah!" The man threw his head back and laughed shrilly, the sound mixing with the clamor of steel in the room. "Fantastic… very well. Submit to me, and I will perhaps honor you with the truth!" He cast a dark spell then, knocking her against Emmeryn's door. The impact knocked the wind out of her lungs, and she slumped against the wall, coughing heavily. The dark mage stepped towards her, a sneering smile on his face. "May I take that as a 'yes—'"

He stopped short, and staggered forwards, and would have fallen right on top of Elysa had she not regained her composure and pushed him away. He crumpled to his side, blood dripping from the long, deep slash across his back. "This wasn't supposed to happen—" he gasped for air, "Emmeryn—was supposed to be… an easy… target…." He shuddered once, then was still. His body was shoved to the side.

"Are you alright?" Marth rushed to Elysa's side, the hem of her cloak drifting over Elysa as she came to a halt. She pushed it aside impatiently and pulled Elysa upright with both hands.

"Yes, I'm fine, thanks to you," Elysa breathed. Marth's face softened, and she sighed in relief. They turned to take in the rest of the room. The nearest, unoccupied assassins had seen the mage fall, and were stepping backwards uncertainly, only to be cut down by the other Shepherds. The fight was over within a few moments.

"Emm!" Chrom rushed to her door. She opened it slowly, carefully. "Oh, thank the gods you're safe…" She embraced him tenderly.

"As am I, you. And Lissa," she turned to the girl. "Why did you put yourself in danger? You should have stayed in your chambers…"

Lissa shook her head vigorously. "No, Emm," she said firmly, "I'm not a child anymore. And I have a duty to you and to our house, I won't hide when we're in danger."

While the three of them held each other, Elysa noticed that Marth had disappeared— again. She looked around, and saw the edge of her blue-and-red cloak trailing around the corner as Marth made her way out of the chambers. Elysa slipped away after her, breaking into a run.

She intercepted Marth in the courtyard, pulling up in front of the other woman and blocking her way.

"You've got a bad habit of leaving without saying goodbye, you know," she said with a smile.

Marth laughed, her blue eyes turning away. "Yes, I suppose I do have a few bad habits."

"Don't so readily dismiss the good ones," Chrom's voice hailed his arrival, and the two women turned to see him stroll up behind them, at a light trot to catch up. "You saved Emmeryn's life. House Ylisse owes you a great debt… is there some way in which I can repay you?"

"Hearing you offer is reward enough," Marth smiled softly. "Besides, I already have what I came for. History has been rewritten."

"And what future averted?" Elysa asked, feeling uneasy. The same sense of a memory, just beyond reach, lurked in the back of her mind.

Marth met Elysa's eyes."After the exalt's assassination, the Fire Emblem would be stolen. This would lead to a great war, and then the unmaking of mankind itself… but I'm sure this all sounds ludicrous to you."

Elysa shook her head. "Strangely, no… Something leads me to believe that I can trust you. Oh, that dark mage. Is he present in this future of yours?"

"Believe me," Marth said with a grave nod, "his death tonight was a very good thing."

"I hope that someday I can repay you," Chrom said. "Until then." He raised his hand in farewell, and went back the way he came, presumably to return to his sisters.

Marth raised her hand in farewell, mirroring the prince, and turned to leave. Elysa hesitated, then called out to her. "Wait!" Marth stopped. "Tell me," Elysa said, "…who are you, in this future?"

Marth half-turned, so that Elysa could see her crooked smile, and a strange sadness on her face. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that, Elysa. But know that I am happy beyond words that I was able to change this world's future, to protect both House Ylisse... and Chrom, and yourself. Please take care."


	6. Before the Storm

'"Levin Sword', 500 gold. What in the blazes is this thing?" Elysa lifted the blade off of the rack, surprised by how light it was. The hilt was forged of some sort of brass alloy with a regular cross-guard, but the blade was long and light, and jagged like a lightning bolt. "...Is this a joke? How are you meant to fight with a blade like that?"

The merchant winced. "It's— it's meant to be, uh, a ranged weapon, you see…" Elysa gave him a look.

"You _throw_ it?"

"N-no! It's a _magic_ weapon. You need not actually come into contact with your foe, see, you can just— just sort of, use it as a staff."

"Then why is it shaped like a sword?"

"Because it can be wielded like so! But your magic will arc through it, allowing you to keep distance if and where you choose. Milady is a tactician, is she not? Would such a weapon not be fit for one who stays at the back of the fray?"

 _At the back of the fray?_ Elysa scowled. "I do no such cowardly thing, thank you very much. And I don't need to spend that much gold on a glorified _stick_ to wave around; I've got my tomes, and I can buy a new, _normal_ blade for a much more reasonable price. Good day to you." She set the sword down with a _*thunk*_ and turned to leave, taking a few purposeful steps from the merchant's stall.

"W-wait! 200? 100? Mi-milady! Wait! Fifty! Fifty even!"

Elysa stopped. She smiled triumphantly, doing a half-turn on her heels and giving the flustered man a wink. "Thanks," she said, counting out the coins.

With her new weapon swinging at her waist, Elysa continued down the winding paths of Ylisstol's market. A jewelry stall caught her eye, and she paused, examining a tear-shaped crystal on a thin silver necklace.

"Suits you," a voice said from behind her. Startled, she turned to see Chrom standing in the street.

"Oh, really?" she said, folding her arms. "How so?"

"Uhm." Chrom cleared his throat. "It's… it's not gaudy or too flashy, but elegant."

"Elegant?" Elysa quipped. "Wow... that's the kind of word I'd use to describe a _lady_."

"I _told you_ , I didn't mean that like that!" He scowled. "You're a fine lady in your own right."

"Mm. Thanks."

Chrom pursed his lips. "Listen," he said earnestly, stepping closer. "Perhaps you're not a lady of the court. But you're well-versed in such a wide array of things— you could find your way around the world within or without a city. Those 'prim and proper and pretty and perfumed' ladies? They're just—"

Elysa put a finger to his lips. "Stop. You're making it worse," she laughed. "What are you doing out here, anyway?"

"Looking for you, actually," Chrom sighed, realizing that the subject had been effectively changed. "We're about to hold council. Emmeryn would have you at the table."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You're the best tactician I've met, and Emm knows it. You're invaluable to the halidom. Why would we not want you on our side?"

"Well... yes, maybe I do have some strategic value, but to sit on the high council isn't something I feel I've earned. You've known me for, what, a few weeks? A month, at best?"

Chrom looked at her squarely. "And that's enough for me," he said firmly. "Think about Marth— we've met her twice, thrice? And in placing our trust in her, we've saved Emmeryn's life. There's something about her that I _know_ I can trust, and the same goes for you."

"I haven't done anything quite so noble or—"

Chrom sighed. "Gods, Elysa, just accept one good word from me for once, would you?"

Elysa bit her lip. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so contrarian. Let's… let's go back to the palace, if they're still waiting on us."

"I'll catch up to you," Chrom said, turning away. "I've got to find Lissa too, she should be around here somewhere as well."

"Okay… I'll see you there, then." Elysa was disappointed in herself for pushing away Chrom's attempts at being kind and friendly. She gave him one last glance, before heading down the road to the palace.

* * *

"The Council is now in session," Emmeryn's clear and even voice rang through the hall. The assembled took their seats around the ovoid table: Chrom to her right, Lissa to her left, and a pair of hierarchs on either side of them.

"We must discuss how we are to proceed from here," one of the hierarchs said. "It has been two days since the attempted assassination on Her Grace, and that has led to a three-day delay on the march to Regna Ferox. We have sent word to the khans of our circumstances, but we must send representatives to the Feroxi troops to convene, that their forces and ours can work together effectively."

"The plan as of now is for Lissa and I, along with a handful of the other Shepherds, to head to Ferox tomorrow, while the others remain here to prepare the Ylissean forces." Chrom placed his hands on the table, looking around.

The second hierarch spoke up. "Milord, if I may," he said, scrunching his nose. He had a very mouse-like face, his small mouth and eyes pinched too close together. "Her Grace is not safe in the capitol. Perhaps we might consider evacuating her to a safer location?"

"We have no leads at the present as to how the assassination plot got so far," Elysa spoke up, "how can we know where she is to be safe?"

"It was Plegia; I'm sure of it," Lissa said. "They'd do anything for the Emblem! Sis – you could come with us to Ferox. We could protect you there."

Emmeryn shook her head. "War is at our borders, Lissa. How can Ylisse stand against Plegia without their leader? They must know that their exalt stands with them. I will not abandon them now."

"And if something were to happen to you, they'd be left without their exalt altogether," Chrom said grimly.

The mouse-faced hierarch raised his hand timidly and suggested, "Perhaps Her Grace could relocate to the eastern palace for the time being? The other kingdoms know nothing of it, and you could still be near to your people, and within the borders of the halidom."

Chrom looked at Emmeryn, his brow furrowed as he gripped her shoulder. "Please, Emm – at least that. I can't leave for Ferox with you in harm's way."

Emmeryn sighed. "Hmm. Very well."

Chrom exhaled in relief. "Thank you, Emm, I mean it. We'll escort you to the palace tomorrow before we head north to the border."

* * *

Elysa, Chrom, and Lissa entered the Shepherds' garrison in the late afternoon. The others were gathered in the main yard, awaiting their arrival. At the sound of the gate creaking open, they all turned to greet the royals and tactician.

"Milord," Frederick said. "How went the Council?"

Chrom looked around at the assembled Shepherds. "Everyone," he began, "I've known all of you for many years. We've trained together, laughed together, cried together, and now it's time to fight together. War is coming to the halidom, and it is our duty as the Shepherds of the realm to be the paradigm of discipline in these times of conflict."

Elysa saw Vaike grin widely and Sumia wince at the same time. "Of course, milord," the fighter said. "We stand to be a proud example at the head of Ylisse's army."

Chrom nodded. "To that end, we're going to divide up to maximize our usefulness. Emmeryn is relocating temporarily; Sully, Virion, you will stay with her and oversee her personal guard. Be on your highest vigilance – you know all too well that the attempt on her life was nearly successful."

Sully nodded firmly. "As you will, Chrom. We'll do our best."

Virion cast her a sidelong look. "Indeed, good prince, we shall."

"Vaike, Miriel, Stahl... and uh, Kellam; you'll stay here, and rally the Ylissean army. Sumia, come with Frederick, Lissa, Lon'qu, Elysa and I: we will escort Emmeryn to the eastern palace, and then depart to Ferox to convene with the khans."

Everyone nodded and looked around at each other. "If I may have a word," Sumia said hesitantly, glancing across at all the familiar faces. "I-I know I'm the newest addition to this group, and don't have a whole lot of merit to make speeches or that sort of thing... But I want to thank you all for everything we've done for each other, and tell you that you're all very precious to me. Please take care of yourselves... I don't know when we'll all be together again, but I pray that it will be soon."

"Aye," Sully said in agreement. "Well said. Don't worry, we can handle ourselves. The Plegians don't stand a chance. And Elysa—" the crimson knight looked over at Elysa with a grin, "—you're one of us. Don't you let yourself think otherwise." The others murmured in agreement.

Elysa smiled. "Thank you, Sully. That means a lot to me. For all intents and purposes, the Shepherds are all I've known that comes close to family... As Sumia said, please take care of yourselves."

There was a collective sigh as the meeting ended, each Shepherd hesitant to be the first to walk away. Kellam eventually slipped off quietly, and the others followed suit. Elysa watched them go. Once almost everyone else had gone, Chrom put his arm around Lissa's shoulder and they headed back out the main gate to spend their last night in the palace for a while. Frederick followed behind them, mounted on his horse.

When Elysa looked back, Sumia was the only one remaining in the courtyard. She crossed over to the pen where her pegasus was drinking from a trough, and rested her arms on the railing, placing her chin in her hand, the rose-colored sleeves of her tunic falling around her elbows. Elysa walked over to her.

"Are you alright?" She asked. Sumia jumped slightly, knocking her elbow on the railing. She let out a yelp.

"Oh, yes – _ow –_ I'm fine," she said, rubbing her bruising arm. "I just have a bad feeling... in my heart. Perhaps it's just the thought of war."

Elysa nodded in understanding, and jumped up to sit on the railing. "War is something that's easy to think of as a concept, something that happens in historical settings. So when it comes into reality and it happens in our present, perhaps it's natural for it to seem surreal."

Sumia sighed. "Maybe I'm just young and naïve. Maybe I'm not cut out for this. But Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, and the others, they all trust me, they all believe in me, and that gives me hope. So I try. But I don't see how I'll truly make a difference in the coming battles."

"It's like Chrom said. You've got to be a leader. The people will rally behind you, Sumia. You're a Shepherd."

"I… I know. I just… People, we— well, maybe I'm projecting. I, for one, totally agree with what you said. There are so many things in this world that we think ourselves so removed from, and the reality of it is that all of us are in this world together. The issues of mankind can't always be left for 'someone else' to deal with, because sooner or later, the only 'someone else' left is gonna benyourself."

"Hmm." Elysa tipped her head, nibbling on the corner of her lower lip thoughtfully. "Maybe. But it's not quite so lonely. You have people to stand with you. Sure, maybe it's finally come down to you, and you're the one who has to shoulder the world's fears, but you don't have to lift that weight on your own. The Shepherds might be parting ways for a bit, but you'll still stand together."

"We," Sumia corrected, offering her a small smile. " _We_ will still stand together. Like Sully said, you're one of us… thank you, Elysa. I think I needed to hear that. I'm going to go make my preparations and try to get some rest. You do the same, alright?"

Elysa smiled and nodded. "Take care, Sumia. I'll see you tomorrow." She watched the pegasus knight head over to the main building, and heard Daisy nicker from the paddock, calling out sullenly to the rapidly digressing figure of her rider. Elysa turned to give the pegasus a glance over her shoulder, and it snorted and turned away. She rolled her eyes, and hopped off the railing.

* * *

The sun had just set by the time Elysa walked into the city gates, and she looked up the long road to the palace, sighing at how far away it seemed. She stretched her back a little, then placed one dust-coated boot in front of the other, plodding up the hill.

She passed the market where the last lingering vendors were closing up for the day, and absentmindedly ran her hand over the hilt of the Levin Sword. _In retrospect, it would've been a good idea to have spent a bit of time today training with this thing_ , she thought to herself. She shrugged the worry off. _I'll be good with my tomes. I've been studying up on my lightning magic, after all…_

Running through spells in her mind, the walk felt much shorter than it actually was and she soon found herself before the door of her room. Letting herself in, she didn't hesitate to pull off her boots and throw her cloak over a chair, flopping into the bed. There was a loud crinkling noise, and she sat up quickly in alarm, feeling something under her.

Feeling around with one hand behind her, her hand closed around a small parcel wrapped in brown paper bound by a piece of light twine, with a short line squiggled across one corner:

 _For mi'lady._

She tugged on it, undoing the knot, and the parcel fell open, dropping a small, weighted object onto the bed. She fumbled around for it, and pulled her hand closer to the light on her bedside.

Curled in the palm of her hand was a silver chain, with the crystal pendant from the market that she'd seen earlier in the day. Elysa laughed, holding it up to the flame so that light danced around the room. Laying back on her bed, she fastened it around her neck, closing her hand around the tear-shaped crystal. With a warm feeling in her cheeks and chest, she blew out the candle and closed her eyes.


	7. Incursion

It felt as if they had been walking for hours on end by the time the scenery finally shifted from the flat land surrounding Ylisstol to a craggy route cutting through the mountains. Their party was not as small as Chrom had previously planned; he and Lissa walked at the head of the column, followed by Frederick and Emmeryn, mounted on a white stallion. Surrounding her was an eight-man unit of cavalry and infantry, and in the sky, Phila flew with Sumia and two other pegasus knights.

Elysa moved alongside Lissa and Chrom. The climb was growing steeper and steeper, and Lissa had begun to complain.

"Ughhhhh," she moaned, "my poor feet… I've got blisters the size of eggs, I'd bet!"

Chrom clicked his tongue and chuckled. "Oh, come now, it's not so bad. Just a healthy little stroll." Lissa scowled and gave him a little punch. Elysa would have allowed herself to laugh at their antics, had she not been preoccupied by the long-robed man who was trailing uncomfortably close behind them. She had been watching him out of the corner of her eye for the past few minutes, and he kept glancing nervously up at the peaks.

"What about you, Elysa?" Chrom's voice caught her attention, and she glanced up at him. "How are you holding up?"

"My legs feel like pudding," Elysa admitted.

Chrom laughed. "Hah! Should I carry you, then?" Elysa flushed. Lissa butted her head between them.

"You can carry _me_! No, seriously— _please_ , I would be really okay with you carrying me." In response, Chrom swept Lissa off of her feet, princess-style. She yelped and flailed a little, nearly losing her grip on her staff.

At the same moment, Elysa was aware of movement behind her, and turned in time to see the robed man fall flat on his face. Two of the guards hurried to his side, helping the man up to his feet. "Are you all right, Hierarch?"

"O-oh, yes," the man cleared his throat, dusting himself off nervously. Without another word, he continued to shuffle forwards.

"Chrom," Elysa said quietly, "who is he?"

"Lissa, if you don't stop moving around, I can't carry you," Chrom muttered, setting his sister back on her feet before addressing Elysa. "The hierarch? He's been a friend of House Ylisse for many years – he guided Emmeryn in the early days of her rule. Why do you ask?"

Elysa narrowed her eyes slightly, glancing back over her shoulder at the hierarch. He had been staring at her, but quickly looked away when she made eye contact. "I can't put my finger on it, but something's—"

"AUUUUGHH…!" She was cut off by a whistle through the air and then a choking cry. Whipping around, they saw one of the infantrymen falling to his knees, a hand axe buried in his chest.

"Lissa!" Elysa shouted. "Get a ward up!" Eyes wide, the cleric lifted her staff, and a nearly transparent dome spread around the party, just before two more axes came flying at them. The enemy came into sight not long after, a trio of brigands.

Chrom cursed under his breath. "Plegian soldiers? How did they know we were here?"

"There's no time to worry about that now," Elysa said urgently. "Everyone, prepare for battle!" Chrom nodded, and looked up to Phila, who had flown the other pegasus knights into a tighter formation.

"Phila! Take Emmeryn to the rear of the column. We'll handle these blackguards!"

"At once, sire," Phila replied, sweeping Emmeryn into her pegasus' saddle and flying to the rear, low to the ground.

"Heh heh," one of the brigands said, twirling his axe in his hand. "Time to die, princeling!" Over the peaks, a handful of wyvern riders took the skies.

"H-hold, sir!" The hierarch darted past the Ylissean party. "M-may I speak with your leader?"

"Eh?" One of the wyvern riders swept down, the beast's wings buffeting the hierarch's long robes.

"You—" Frederick growled, but was cut off by the wyvern rider.

"Ah, _you_!" he said. "King Gangrel did send me orders to protect a man within this party… but I see no man here, eh, lads? Only a pig!" The brigands' leader flew closer, knocking the hierarch down onto his back. "This rasher of traitorous bacon sold out his own sovereign! What do we do with little piggies, hmmmm?" His men laughed, and the hierarch scrambled backwards towards Chrom. The wyvern slammed its tail behind him, blocking the hierarch's retreat.

"Perhaps… perhaps you let them go?" The hierarch squeaked. The wyvern rider dismounted, cackling.

"Oh, are you a chicken now? _Bawk bawk_! We've a whole barnyard in our midst! Well, it don't matter what you are." Swinging his axe around off of his shoulder, the brigand leader brought the heavy blade down into the hierarch, whose scream was cut off in a choking cry. Lissa shrieked.

The leader laughed again, ripping his weapon from the dead man's corpse with a gruesome crunch. "Ahh, hear that, men? Fortune blows our way this day! Ho there, Ylisseans!" He grinned and lifted a hand towards their party, the axe still brandished in the other. Chrom's hand went to grip Falchion. "Give me the Fire Emblem and your wench of a leader, and spare yourselves a gory end!"

"None of that!" Chrom shouted. "Elysa, make sure Emmeryn stays safe. Frederick! Charge!" The prince drew his blade then, and the cavalry surged forwards. The leader scowled, swinging back onto his wyvern's saddle and taking to the air as the three infantrymen were knocked down by Ylisse's knights. Elysa watched them move forwards, meeting the brigands as they swarmed onto the path.

"Elysa!" Lissa tugged urgently on the tactician's sleeve. "Phila and Emmeryn are back there!" She followed the princess for a while, coming to where Phila and the other pegasus knights were holding a tight formation around the exalt. Lissa brought her staff up and replaced the ward, and it shimmered over their group.

A pair of roars filled the air, and two wyverns descended on the back lines. Elysa pulled out her tome and stretched her hand towards the sky. _Thunder_ magic crackled across the air, causing one of the wyverns to reel backwards, nearly throwing its rider. The other continued its assault down towards them, and one of the pegasus knights rose to meet it. Elysa saw scarlet stain the pegasus's white feathers as the wyvern's talons met its adversary.

The other was recovering quickly, and rounding for another dive at the group. Now, the pegasus knight that had engaged the other wyvern rider was wheeling through the air, locked in combat, and Elysa could not afford to cast another lightning spell for fear of hitting her ally. Before she even had time to consider her other options, the descending wyvern threw its head back in confusion Its rider's lifeless body fell to the ground not too far from them, a javelin skewering the body to the dirt as it landed heavily. From the flank, another pegasus swept in with incredible speed, and a red-haired knight drove her lance through the wyvern's chest. With a final indignant screech, it pulled off and spiraled away. There was a massive thud as the other wyvern hit the ground as well, Phila's knight victorious.

The newcomer pulled up between Elysa and Phila. "Milady Captain! Plegians here, too? Gods," she grimaced, "more to the rear, Captain Phila! They'll be upon us soon."

The clanking of boots and hoof-beats signaled Sumia peeling away from the formation. "Cordelia, what are you doing here?"

"Cordelia?" Elysa looked at the knight studiously. Her long crimson hair was tangled and windswept, and both she and her pegasus were coated in dirt and blood. _Was this the friend Sumia spoke of?_

"One of my knights – young, yet very gifted." Phila approached as well. "She was stationed at the border… oh, gods, could that mean…?"

"Sumia, there's no time to lose," Elysa said urgently. "Take me to the front of the column, we must warn Chrom – "

"Who are you?" Cordelia said sharply, turning to Elysa. "Why are you giving orders around here?"

"Peace, Cordelia," Phila said, placing a hand on the younger knight's arm. "She is the Shepherds' tactician. Lord Chrom trusts her, and so do I. Go, Elysa, Sumia; be swift and safe!"

"I should be the one to take her," Cordelia argued. "Sumia, aren't you still in training?"

"Cordy," Sumia said firmly, "I can do this. Stay here and protect Emmeryn. Trust me, okay?" Sumia swung herself back into her saddle and pulled Elysa up after her. Cordelia gave the two one more worried glance, and then Sumia took to the air.

"Fly low, along the ledge here," Elysa instructed. "That should keep you out of the view of the archers up ahead." Sumia nodded in understanding, pulling the pegasus down to the edge of the road. Elysa made the mistake of glancing down at the sickening drop into the ravine below, and shivered slightly.

"Now?" Sumia said, pulling up at the head of the battle. "Jump!" Steeling herself, Elysa rolled off of the pegasus's back and onto the path, a few meters away from the nearest brigand. Before he could turn and face her properly, she blasted him in the chest with a bolt of magic, and he crumpled to the ground. Elysa heard the diminishing sound of wingbeats as Sumia pulled into a more advantageous position.

Here at the head of the fray, Elysa could see that the Ylisseans easily had the day won. The enemy archers had all been taken down, and the cavalry seemed to have the upper hand on the ground, as well as Chrom, who was cutting down brigands left and right with ease. But it was clear that reinforcements could easily turn the tide of this battle. She ran forwards, dispatching one of the brigands that was approaching Chrom. He turned in surprise at the arc of magic flying past him. "Elysa?! What are you doing here, is Emmeryn alright?"

"Emmeryn is fine, for now," Elysa said urgently. "But soon there will be—" A shadow out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. "Watch out!" She shouted, and lunged forwards, grabbing Chrom and dragging him to the side.

Not a second later, talons gouged the ground where they had been standing. "Princey can't keep an eye on the sky for himself, eh?" The brigand leader turned to fix his gaze on Elysa. "Boys, keep him busy! Seems I've got to dispatch this lovely lady first…"

"Elysa!" Chrom shouted, but several of the infantry brigands peeled off from the main group and charged at him, forcing him to retreat back towards Frederick. The wyvern's tail whipped around, clipping Elysa in the side, and she tumbled over, towards the ledge. Her tome was knocked out of her hands, and it fell into the ravine.

"No!" She reached out after it, watching it spiral down towards the tiny river at the bottom.

"Heh, not so tough now, are you, little girl?" The wyvern began to advance again, and Elysa reached for the sword at her side, drawing it clumsily, too slowly. But before the axe could swing, she was swept off the ledge and back into the air and found herself scrambling back into the saddle of a pegasus.

"Are you alright?" Sumia asked, wide-eyed as she turned to look at Elysa over her shoulder. Before Elysa could respond, the sun above was obscured, and the wyvern was upon them, dropping like a deadweight out of the sky. Locked in freefall, Sumia's pegasus bucked in fright, and all Elysa could do was to cling to the saddle for dear life. The brigand leader reached over the edge of his saddle and swung at them with his axe - but Sumia, face fixed with determination, steeled her grip on her lance, and turned to face him, raising the weapon to block the blow.

The axe met the lance at one of the wood-and-iron junctions, and made a horrible clanking noise – before the lance shuddered and splintered into three pieces, which fell in the air around them. Sumia cried out, clutching at her weapon-arm, and in doing so, she was thrown from the saddle. "Sumia!" Elysa cried out, and the pegasus brayed in unison, kicking away from the wyvern in an effort to go to its rider. Fear rolled through Elysa's chest as she felt herself slide off of its back as well, but she barely had time to register that she was falling when she hit the freezing, slow-flowing water of the river at the ravine's bottom.

Struggling to the surface, she threw her sword onto the shore and dragged herself out of the water, coughing heavily. A torrent of rocks and debris showered down nearby, as the wyvern slid down the edge of the rocky walls to the bottom of the ravine, rounding towards her. Elysa saw Sumia's pegasus nudging at the knight's form on the opposite side of the riverbank, but she dragged her attention back to the enemy before her.

"What will you do now, wench?" The brigand jeered, jerking on the reins of his mount. The wyvern reared up and roared a challenge. Elysa gritted her teeth in reply, grabbing the blade off the ground and swinging it into a battle stance. To her surprise, an arc of magic cut through the air, striking the wyvern in its exposed chest. It staggered backwards, bellowing in fury. Elysa looked at the Levin Sword in wonder, then back at the staggering beast. She experimentally slashed again, in a wide horizontal arc, and the air responded, cracking a bolt that seared its way across the space between her and the adversary, which reeled and staggered further, its hind legs slipping into the river.

Elysa spun the blade around, slamming the tip into the riverbed, and once the blade was half-submerged, she called on the magic once more and lightning surged into the water, making her hair stand on end. Sparks and jolts lanced up the wyvern's limbs, illuminating its silhouette. The wyvern gave a choking, shuddering screech as it crumpled into a lifeless heap, a giant blockade in the river.

The rider was similarly affected, but managed to leap from his mount's corpse and onto the shore, limbs trembling. Without giving him time to recover, Elysa charged, and he raised his axe to parry. The blade caught on her weapon's jagged edge, but Elysa twisted her arm, piercing the tip into the brigand's chest

"Heh…" he gasped, dropping his weapon. "Little dove… you think killing me will do anything? Even now, my brothers storm the borders of this land… while the exalted coward flees, saving herself while they slaughter her subjects. Yes… she saves herself, and their faith in her… bleeds away… like.. the rest….." The brigand's head lolled back slightly, and his eyes turned glassy, his final gaze fixed on the sky above.

"Vasto has fallen!" Elysa snapped her gaze up, pulling the Levin Sword free. High above, two other wyvern riders were circling. "Fall back to the capital!" They turned and circled away. Elysa saw a row of peoples' faces poking out from the top of the canyon, but their shouts were too far away to make out.

 _Sumia._ Elysa turned, hurriedly stashing her blade, and splashed her way back into the river, swimming hastily to the other side. "Sumia!" she called, and the pegasus turned to her, baring its teeth and pawing the ground. "Please," Elysa said, holding her hands up. "I need to help her." The pegasus stood its ground, flaring its wings out and whinnying angrily.

"Easy, Daisy girl…." Sumia's quiet voice rose up, hoarsely. The pegasus turned her head and nickered softly. "Elysa's… our friend, remember? It's okay…" Elysa took a tentative step forwards. The pegasus eyed her cautiously, but did not lunge this time when the tactician made to approach. Elysa dropped to her knees by Sumia's splayed-out body. The girl's arm was twisted at an odd angle, and one of her legs was visibly broken.

"Sumia… Please, hold on, you'll be alright. Lissa and the other clerics will be down here soon, and…" Sumia coughed, and a faint trickle of blood stained her mouth.

"Elysa, it's okay…" she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm glad I could save you… and you managed to not only warn… Chrom… but you killed their leader, all on your own. Maybe…. Maybe I had my dreams of heroism, but you'll have to fulfill them for me, okay?" She smiled, reaching out her left hand, which Elysa snatched immediately.

"No!" Elysa said, shaking her head firmly. "Don't talk like that. You're going to make it, you hear me?"

Sumia blinked slowly, another cough painfully shaking her frame. "Elysa… I'm sure you knew, just like all the others, about my feelings for… Lord Chrom." She laughed, wincing. "Cordy would kill me for telling you this, but… she and I both had some sort of little crush on him. He was someone we–we looked up to, you know? Cordy was always the smarter one, and she knew to bury her feelings, to go focus on her work… she even found someone else, eventually... but I stayed close to him... Perhaps I could've been more useful t-to Ylisse, if I had gone out and chased… potentia. Perhaps I could have done more… but I'll settle for saving _your_ life, if that's okay?"

Elysa felt tears dripping down her cheeks. "Sumia, please, don't try to keep talking, you're hurting yourself." Sumia frowned.

"I'll talk while I— while I still can…" Elysa set her jaw, closing her eyes. "Just do me a favor?" She looked up.

"Yeah?" Elysa's voice cracked.

"I don't know who you were… before you—before you lost your memory…" She shuddered, her face tensing in a grimace of discomfort, and then slowly relaxed. "But you're a good… person… Elysa… I'm so glad… to have… m… . .. .. …."

"Sumia….. SUMIA!" Elysa clutched at the pegasus knight's face, staring into her clouded brown eyes. "No….. no, no…" She lowered her head, sobbing heavily. The pegasus nickered softly, nudging at Sumia's body with one of her hooves.

"Oh, gods…"

Elysa was too caught up in her emotions to hear the arrival of the two pegasi. It was only when she felt a hand on her shoulder that she reacted, jerking in fright and reaching for her blade. But the hands took firm hold of her shoulders, and she looked up through her tears into Chrom's serious face, his wide blue eyes. His mouth was moving, but she couldn't make out the words.

"Chrom…" she whispered, "Chrom, it's my fault…"

"Elysa, listen to me," Chrom repeated. "Are you alright?" That time, Elysa heard him, but did not respond beyond a meek nod. One of her hands was still holding Sumia's. She slowly and reluctantly let it go, then reached up and closed her eyes.

There was a thump beside her as Cordelia knelt beside her friend's body, her shaking hands clutching at Sumia's shoulders. "Why…? Why were you so careless?" She whispered. Cordelia rounded on Elysa, grabbing her by the fringe of her cloak. "Why did you let her go up to the front lines? Some tactician you are, being so bold with the least experienced recruits!" Elysa looked at her speechlessly.

"Cordelia!" Phila said firmly. "Sumia acted of her own accord, and she went willingly. Do not blemish her memory and degrade her sacrifice by acting with such cruelty to the life she saved."

Cordelia looked at her captain, tears streaming down her dirt-streaked face, anger and agony clashing in her expression. She turned her face away, as the rage slowly faded. "...You're right. I— I apologize, Elysa… those monsters…" she slowly released her hold on the tactician's cloak. "Captain Phila, I… how can I go on like this? First my knight-sisters at the border, and now Sumia… they were my— my family…" her voice cracked, unable to continue. Phila dismounted her pegasus and wrapped her arm around Cordelia's shoulders. The red-haired knight buried her face in the captain's shoulder, muffling her sobs.

"I must return to the capital."

Elysa looked up at the sound of Emmeryn's soft, steady voice.

"What?" Chrom said sharply.

"Your Grace, I cannot advise—" Phila began to object, but Emmeryn raised a hand to cut her off.

"I should never have left. If it's discovered I'm away when this news comes to light... The people could panic. Riot. More Ylisseans could needlessly die." She turned to her brother. "Here, Chrom… The Fire Emblem. Take it to Ferox, to safety." She pulled a medium, shield-shaped crest out of her robe. Chrom released Elysa's shoulders.

"And what, leave you?" Chrom said indignantly, clenching his fists. "I won't, Emm."

"Chrom," Emmeryn said urgently, "No part of House Ylisse matters more than the Emblem. It possesses tremendous power. But too much blood has been shed over it already. I hope it finds a better guardian in you than it did me."

"Emm, come on. You can't... Don't talk like that! You sound like you're ready to give up... Please, this is madness!"

Emmeryn shook her head. "I am not giving up, Chrom. I am only giving what I can."

Lissa cried out. "Sis, please! Wait! Let me go with you!"

"Lissa. Stay with Chrom. I command it."

The cleric kicked at the ground, her face crumpling. "This isn't fair! I know our people need you, but we need you, too!"

Emmeryn stepped forwards and embraced her younger sister. "Dry your tears, love, this is not good-bye." She tipped Lissa's chin up and smiled warmly, brushing away at Lissa's tears with her thumb.

Phila cleared her throat. "Your Grace, the pegasus knights will accompany you to Ylisstol… we will take Sumia with us, as well."

"Very well, Phila. Thank you." Emmeryn nodded.

"Cordelia," Phila said, "You will stay here with Chrom."

"But, captain—" Cordelia began to protest, but looked back at Sumia and was silent, bowing her head again. "…This is how it must be. May my knight-sisters give me strength, in spirit… I will pray for your safety, Captain."

Phila nodded. "Come, let us begone from this place. Cordelia, take Sumia up to the top."

They re-mounted the pegasi and made their way up the ravine. When they came to solid ground, Chrom jumped off of the saddle. "This is madness!" He shouted, and they all jumped. "You don't have to go, this is _absurd_!"

Emmeryn's brow furrowed. "Chrom—" He cut her off, grabbing her by the shoulders, more roughly than he'd done with Elysa.

"Walking to your own death will not bring peace to anyone. Ylisse needs you. WE need you! Be selfish for once in your life!"

Emmeryn's green eyes were filled with sadness. "...I love you, Chrom. Both you and Lissa are my everything. As for the peace I seek... You cannot see who it is for. I have to go. I'm sorry— I truly am. Let us embrace again in Ylisstol when you arrive with Feroxi reinforcements. I know you will come." She reached up and pulled at Chrom's hands.

Chrom was silent then, his arms slipping to his sides at Emmeryn's urging, and watched as Phila called the other pegasus knights, forming up to leave. Cordelia handed Sumia's body to one of them, pausing to place a final kiss on her friend's forehead.

"This is a terrible plan," Chrom whispered. Elysa started to reach out to him, but withdrew her hand.

Emmeryn stepped back up into Phila's saddle. "The blood of the first exalt flows strong in us. You and I will keep Ylisse safe. I believe it with all my heart. Safe journey, Chrom. Safe journey, Lissa." With that, the group of pegasus knights took off, with Sumia's pegasus trailing a little ways behind.

Chrom watched them leave for a moment, then turned away, clutching at his head in frustration. "Frederick," he called. "Let us make camp just beyond this pass. We will make haste for Ferox in the morning."

* * *

Elysa had busied herself in the preparations for that night, avoiding conversation wherever possible. Frederick rode around with Lissa on the rump of his warhorse, while Lon'qu trailed behind, issuing orders, and the soldiers scurried left and right to erect tents and stoke fires to prepare dinner and water for the evening. Elysa felt as though she floated through the hours. Doing her best to blend in with the rabble, the sun quickly made its way across the sky and settled down to the horizon.

She wandered from one tent to the next, taking inventory of the party's supplies. There were now two extra horses… and two extra sets of weapons, to match. They were running a little low on javelins and arrows, but some of the men were working on fletching new arrows at that very moment. She rustled through a few stacks of quivers, standing them up neatly side-by-side.

"Elysa?" There was a soft rustling at the tent's edge, and she turned, making one more mark on the parchment she'd been carrying before looking up. Cordelia stood at the tent's entrance. Having shed her heavy armor, she stood in a simple tunic and breeches, and her hair had been cleaned, swept neatly over her shoulders. "Dinner is ready. We're waiting for you."

"Oh, I… I'm sorry," Elysa said. "I'm not very hungry. You should go ahead without me." Cordelia looked hurt.

"Are you sure? The soldiers all say that my stew is good for the weary heart," she said, trying to smile. Elysa shook her head.

"Really, I'm sure. Thank you though."

Cordelia shifted her weight. "Elysa… I'm sorry for what I said earlier."

"You've said that already, and it's alright," Elysa said stoically. "And you were right, anyway. I led her to her death. If it weren't for me, she'd probably be alive."

Cordelia shook her head firmly, a lock of hair falling across her face. She brushed it back behind her wing-shaped hairpin. "I've known Sumia since we were children. She was never afraid to be honest… I don't think she did anything other than what her heart told her to do. You're not at fault. I am not familiar with you as she was; she cared about you, and I hope that you'll allow me to do the same."

Elysa looked down and said nothing. Cordelia hovered for a moment more, then made a small bow. "I apologize for my forwardness. I'll give you some space, and let Lord Chrom and Lady Lissa know that you won't be joining us for the meal."

"Thank you," Elysa nodded, and picked up the parchment again, turning back to the piles of supplies. The tent flaps rustled again, and Cordelia was gone.

Elysa sank her nails into her palms. _Why…_ The paper fluttered to the floor, disturbed by the draft from Cordelia's exit. _Who was I, before all this? They barely know me… and now Sumia is dead, because of me. What if others would do the same? How could my life be worth as much as one of Chrom's loyal soldiers and companions – one of his friends?_ Her mind flashed back to the ravine, where Chrom held her shoulders firmly, trying to comfort her – when clearly he was affected by Sumia's death as well.

 _This isn't something he needs in this time of war._ She reached under her shirt and felt for the necklace. Looking at the pendant, her heart ached. Exhaling deeply, she bent and picked up the parchment, then exited the tent.

It didn't take her long to find Chrom and Lissa's tent. It was significantly larger than the others, and much comfier-looking on the inside. Just as she'd hoped, it was empty, since they were at dinner. She went to the side of his cot and flipped the inventory parchment over, scribbling a short note, praying that he'd heed her and not seek her out. Setting the quill down with a slightly trembling hand, she wiped away at the corner of her eye, and made her way quickly across camp to where the horses were tied.

She took the reins of one of the horses that had belonged to the fallen cavalrymen. The guard looked at her in surprise. "Would you mind?" she asked. "I'd like to go out for some air.

"O-of course not, milady. Ride safely." He nodded respectfully. She walked the horse to the edge of the camp, then swung up into the saddle. Looking back, she could make out the central campfire, and the figures around it. Then she turned, gave the mare a light kick, and took off down the road, back in the direction the party had come — alone.

* * *

 **Big chapter; lots going on.**

 **Reviews always appreciated and loved : )**


	8. The Grimleal

The skies began to turn a dark blue as dawn approached. Exhaustion tugged at Elysa's body, but she rode on, for she knew that if she had stopped to make camp, sleep would bring nothing but bad dreams of the previous day's strife. Her horse was truly a well-trained war mount: she never faltered nor complained, and kept up a steady pace through the cold night. It felt like the road back south was far longer than it had been on the way up. _P_ _erhaps company had made the time pass faster._

Elysa crested a small hill, and from the slight vantage point, she was able to make out the silhouette of Ylisstol against the near horizon. She ran a hand through the horse's tangled mane. "End's within sight, girl," she said with a sigh. "Let's get you home… and figure out where _I_ can go home to." A pang of sorrow passed through her, and she urged the mare onwards, at a swifter canter.

As the city grew closer the sun began to make an appearance, and the landscape shifted from shades of blue to more natural tones. The towers of the palace began to take more recognizable shape beyond silhouettes against the skyline. Elysa pulled her horse to a halt for a moment. Something was off. Her eyes swept across the city, and then she realized what it was – the skies were empty. _Where are the pegasus patrols…?_ Squinting, a faint cloud of smoke caught her eye, drifting up from the main road and the palace. Alarmed, Elysa tugged on the reins, taking off down the road.

She hadn't gone another fifty meters before five figures emerged from the city, climbing into the skies. Their dark wings were far larger than Ylissean pegasi, and they made a quick break westwards – towards Plegia. _Wyvern riders. Oh, gods…_ And they were certainly in a rush. Elysa had a terrible feeling, but there was nothing she could possibly do alone. She pressed onwards to the city, praying that no dragon would descend on her.

At the main gate, she was further disconcerted to note that there were no guards, and the gateway was wide open. As she rode down the main road and beyond the gate, the disaster began to unfold.

The city had been raided — hastily, it seemed, as there was no longer any sign of the invaders. As she approached the palace, the buildings began to show more and more of the attack, smoldering and crumbling from the aerial bombardment. The horse nickered in fright at the live flames and glowing embers lining the street, but Elysa insistently urged her forwards. The mare leapt over a pile of debris, and took off at a gallop towards the palace's gate.

She rode into the main courtyard, where she finally encountered the city guard. They raised their pikes and lances.

"Hold!" Elysa cried out, pulling her horse to a halt and dismounting, hands raised. "I mean no harm. I've come from Lord Chrom's brigade – we were to escort the exalt to the eastern palace, but she made to return to Ylisstol yesterday… is she safe?"

The guards relaxed at her words and upon noticing the horse's saddle-cloths, but approached together. They were battered and covered in dust and ash. "Would that we could, milady," one of them said, "But Her Highness was taken not minutes ago."

"Gods, what _happened?"_

"Wyverns from Plegia, milady," another soldier spoke up. "They descended on us out of nowhere, before dawn. The pegasus guard was overwhelmed, taken by surprise... the Plegians broke into the palace, demanding for Her Highness. She surrendered to them, hoping they'd leave the city… She sacrificed herself for us."

"Did they take her alive?" Elysa's eyes widened.

"Yes," the first soldier nodded. "but no doubt Gangrel means ill will towards her."

"Where is Captain Phila? Please take me to her, if you could," Elysa said urgently.

"At once, milady," one of the soldiers nodded, and turned back to the palace.

"Oh, wait—" Elysa paused, and offered the reins of the horse to one of the other men. "This mare belonged to one of the cavalrymen in our party. See that she's returned to the stables, please." The soldier took the reins, eyeing the horse with a look of sadness, noting Elysa's past-tense referral of the cavalry. Elysa patted the mare on the neck once more. "Thank you," she said softly, then turned to follow the soldier.

He led her through the palace, then to the main room. Phila stood with some of the other pegasus knights. Two pegasi lay dead by the throne. At the sound of their approach, Phila turned.

"Elysa?" she said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Nevermind that now," Elysa shook her head. "Are you alright?" Phila furrowed her brow. Elysa quickly amended her statement. " _W_ _ill_ you be alright?"

Phila looked at her disgruntled unit. "We need to give chase," she said, "but the pegasus knights are in no condition to do so, and the army is in disarray trying to re-secure the palace. We don't have the resources to raid Plegia at this time – we must send word to Lord Chrom."

"I'll go back and find him," Elysa said, the words tumbling from her mouth before she could properly think it through.

Phila raised an eyebrow. "You have yet to tell me your reasons for departing from the party."

Elysa blinked. "I… I lost my tome in the battle. There were no other mages in the party, so I needed to head back to restock… and I wouldn't have been any use to them unarmed," she cringed.

The pegasus captain looked at the Levin Sword, unconvinced. "…Sure," she said. "Either way. Hurry back to them. By now they should be nearing Ferox, or at least approaching it by ship if they cut across the fast way. Your best bet would be to take a horse across the continental route; if you are to travel solo, it will be easier to make a better pace by land."

Elysa nodded. "Very well," she said, "I'll… I'll head out right away." Phila nodded.

"Make sure you restock on weapons if need be. I'd suggest bringing some vulnerary with you as well." For a moment, Elysa paused. Travelling alone would be more than just a little bit dangerous – and should something happen to her on the road, there would be no way for anyone to come after her. She'd have to depend entirely on herself.

She turned, smoothing out a crease in her robe. "I shall," she said over her shoulder, and then departed immediately, not wanting to waste any further time.

* * *

As Elysa was leaving the palace, at Chrom's camp the soldiers were just starting to stir and pack up for the remainder of the march to Ferox.

"Chrom!" Lissa tugged the sheets off of her brother, and he flinched at the sudden rush of cold air. "Wake _up_ already – you're supposed to be leading this army! How, exactly, are you planning on doing that from bed?"

"With... magic," Chrom mumbled, sitting up. He groaned and ran a hand through his bedraggled hair.

The tent flap rustled, and Chrom raised an arm to block out the intruding rays of sunlight. "Milord," Frederick said apologetically, "Oh, you have awoken. I meant to ask if you had seen any trace of our tactician today… but it would seem you haven't seen much of anything outside of this tent just yet."

Chrom scowled. "You and Lissa," he muttered under his breath.

" _I'll_ help you look for her," Lissa chirped, and promptly marched out of the tent, grabbing Frederick by the wrist. The knight allowed her to tow him out of sight.

Chrom pinched the bridge of his nose, swinging his legs over the side of his cot. He stuffed one foot into a boot, and then the other – and then he stood, placing his hand on the nightstand for support. There was a soft crinkle. Surprised, he looked over, and noticed the sheaf of parchment. He picked it up, frowning. _An inventory check…? What's this doing here?_ He placed it back on the table, and saw a fallen quill lying under it. Bending to pick it up, he was about to toss it by the paper and carry on, but a brief gust of wind blew through his tent, revealing scribbles on the other side of the paper as it drifted off the table. He furrowed his brow.

 _Chrom,  
I've departed from the company. Please don't worry or come looking for me – it's for the best.  
_ _I'm so sorry._

 _-Elysa_

He read the two sentences once, then again, then a third time. His heart flipped over. It was all he could do to restrain himself from bursting from the tent half-dressed to run around the camp looking for her… but he knew that he wouldn't find her, and neither would Lissa and Frederick. He crumpled the parchment in his hand.

 _She's gone._ Chrom's mind replayed the events of the previous day. How he'd watched Elysa disappear behind the lines of brigands, the wyvern towering over her. Sumia, sweeping down and plucking her into the air… and then the both of them disappearing over the edge of the ravine. Sumia's lifeless body flung to one side of the ravine. Elysa, alive still. His heart had leapt into his throat, and he'd almost jumped from the back of Phila's pegasus as she brought him down to her. She was shaken and distraught, but not badly injured. When Emmeryn left, he felt her presence at his side, and with that, steeled himself to press onwards. Why did he not think something was off when Cordelia announced that she wouldn't be joining them at dinner? Had Cordelia known Elysa would be leaving?

 _Emmeryn first, and now Elysa._ Chrom started. When did the tactician become someone of importance close to his sister? The prince clenched his jaw, pounding his fist on the side table and tossing the crumpled parchment aside. There was no point in pondering that now. She was gone. And what remained, the task ahead, required his attention.

* * *

Elysa held the reins fast and let her horse take a long drink from the river. She looked around warily. The horse nickered and nudged at her with its snout, spraying her with a few droplets of water. "You and me again, huh?" Elysa laughed, stroking a hand across the mare's neck. "My turn now," she said, lowering her hood and stooping to take a drink herself. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

Jolting up, she heard fast-approaching hoofbeats and boots on the dirt path. There was a company approaching, having just broken from the tree line. They had already caught sight of her. She swallowed. The mare pawed at the ground anxiously. "Easy," Elysa whispered. They would have to stay fast and hope for the best – it would be foolish to try to run.

As the group drew nearer, they began to audibly murmur amidst themselves, staring at Elysa. She shifted her weight uncomfortably, tucking a loose strand of hair back under her collar.

One man moved up and removed his hood. "M-milady?" He looked at her in surprise. "What are you doing out here, alone?"

Elysa paused for a brief moment. She took in her situation carefully. The group was comprised of some twenty-something mages, cavaliers, fighters, and myrmidons. They were all dressed similarly, in black robes adorned with red, gold, and purple, in a design much like her own cloak. There was a sinister familiarity to it all.

She chose to not answer the man's question. "I should be asking you. Who are you, and what is your business in these parts?"

The man ducked his head. "My apologies, my Lady," he said, "I am Charlard, another mere servant of Lord Grima. It was foolish of me to expect that you keep track of the names of all of your underlings, about on menial business..."

"Indeed," Elysa said. She glanced over at her horse, relieved that she'd had the foresight to request a plain saddle rather than one emblazoned with the Ylissean insignia. "My business is not yours to question," she said coldly, steeling her gaze on Charlard, who visibly flinched.

"W-we are headed back to Plegian lands, milady," he stuttered. "We bring with us an offering to Lord Grima." At that announcement, he stood a little straighter, pride gleaming in his beady eyes. He gestured behind him, and the others parted to reveal a covered wagon at the center of the company. The cover fluttered in the wind, and Elysa could make out a steel cage hidden under it. She thought she could see a pair of faintly glowing violet eyes in the shadows. One man who stood near to the cage pulled the flap down firmly, obscuring her view.

Elysa slid her eyes back to Charlard. He blinked nervously. "I suppose you have heard that King Gangrel has captured the Ylissean exalt? I wouldn't expect you to miss her public execution, milady."

Elysa's stomach fluttered, but she drew a deep breath, and her act held strong. She forced a thin smile and nod. "Of course not."

"We must make haste to the Dragons' Table. I believe Lord Grima will _most_ pleased with this sacrifice... and we would be honored to have you travel with us, milady. Th-that is, if you wish to head back to Plegia... We shall escort you to the capital, if it please you."

"Lead on, then," Elysa said, glancing up at the afternoon sky. "The sun will carry on without us if we dally." She swung up onto her horse then, and fell in with the strange men. They parted to flank her on both sides, so that she rode beside the covered wagon. Every now and then, she'd glance over with the feeling that she was being watched, and catch a glimpse of green hair disappearing into the farther shadows of the cage.

When nightfall came, the group pitched a series of tents, tied the horses to a fallen log, and soundly settled down to sleep. They had set up a separate tent for Elysa, and she had retired to it early, opting to have her horse posted outside her tent nearby. She drew the flaps closed tightly. She sat back onto the makeshift bedding and drew a shuddering breath. It all felt so surreal. Who were these people? It was certainly clear to her that they had no good intentions towards Ylisse; but they also didn't seem to be Plegians themselves. And her clothes matches theirs, and they seemed to know who she was, even though she had no memory of them. _To be fair, I have no memory of a lot of my life,_ she admitted to herself. _But would it be feasible to play along with this? If I'm not who they think I am, they'll certainly kill me on the spot…_ Her hand went to her belt, where the Levin Sword hung, beside her new clasped tome. _There's no way I could take on all of them._

Elysa sat there for what felt like several hours, until the glow of moonlight began to filter through the edges of her tent. Then she stood and peeked outside, hoping to at least get some air. She frowned. Did they really not post anyone on watch? She stepped fully out into the night air, cautiously.

"Hey!" An urgent whisper came from the darkness to her right. Elysa jumped, her hand flying to her belt. "Over here!" Elysa's eyes scanned the area, and located the source of the voice: the covered wagon. A small hand was reaching out from inside and lifting the flap, while the other beckoned her over. Elysa looked around warily, then approached.

She came up to the wagon, and was startled to see a young girl crouched within, pressing her face against the bars. Her long, mint-green hair was pinned back with a bow, but stuck up in a million disgruntled directions, contrasting sharply with her bright lavender eyes. "Lady! Yeah, you!"

Elysa scowled. "Keep it down," she said under her breath. "Aren't you their – I mean, _our_ – prisoner?"

The girl cracked a smirk. "I knew it, you're not _actually_ one of them. I could tell, y'know. I've got a knack for pinning the good people from the bad! My name's Nowi, by the way."

"Elysa," the tactician winced.

"Oh, don't worry," Nowi reassured her, "these Grimleal are pretty dense. I think your act for them was pretty good. Why'd they think you were their lady or something?"

"This doesn't seem like the most ideal of circumstances to be having this conversation," Elysa muttered. "Why aren't there any guards around?"

Nowi shrugged. "There was this one man, but he walked off literally just a second ago. No one came back out after him, 'cept you."

Elysa set her jaw. She couldn't just do nothing and leave the girl here. What other chance would she get to set Nowi free? _It shouldn't be too hard to feign innocence in the morning. I could say I slept soundly through the night…_ She threw the cover off of the cage.

"W-what are you doing?!" Nowi staggered backwards.

"Getting you out of here," Elysa said, finding the cage door and feeling for the lock.

 _"Oy!"_

A new, gruff voice made them both jump. Elysa spun around, pressing her back to the wagon. A tall man with short-cropped red hair had approached. Over his shoulder was an iron broadsword, and in the moonlight, Elysa could make out the distinctive tint of blood on its blade. He raised an eyebrow. "You are… doing the helping of wee girl?"

"U-um, yes, she is!" Nowi squeaked.

The man grinned widely, and dropped his blade to the ground, proudly producing a ring of keys from one of his pockets. "Then worry not! Gregor have key! Need only to figure out which one…" He looked over at Elysa. "You, are you not important-lady to former employer?"

Elysa shook her head, her heart still pounding. "I-I don't think I'm who they think I am," she said.

"You don't think? What is this, you do not know?" Gregor frowned.

"I don't remember," Elysa confessed. "But I mean the girl no harm. I assure you, I am not your enemy."

"Hm! Gregor can see, you want help girl. Then, you are Gregor's friend!"

After rifling through the keys for several moments, the cage door finally popped open. Nowi cautiously swung her feet out, and Gregor cleared his throat. "There you go, wee one. Now you are safe!" He looked over at Elysa. "Say, now that Gregor finished with killing former employers, how about you hire Gregor?"

"H-hire?" Elysa stuttered. "So, you're a sellsword, a mercenary?"

"Aye, yes! Gregor is very swell sword! You think Gregor is Grimleal?! No! Er – Gregor does not mean to do the offense towards you, but—"

Elysa shook her head. "I don't care who I was in a previous life. Well, that's not entirely true. What I mean is, I don't identify with these people, especially in light of whatever insipid motives they follow. But, my plan from here is to go to Plegia, and see what I can find out about the king's plans. It seems the Grimleal are welcome in those parts."

"Aye, Gregor knows this to be true," the man nodded. "But what shall Gregor and wee one do from here? No employer, no money! But Gregor does not want to leave little girl alone." Nowi hopped fully out from the wagon, giving him a shy smile. He patted her head. "Oh, wee one – Gregor find this in one of Grimleal tents. It is belong to you, no?" He produced a blue stone from the pouch at his waist. Nowi gasped.

"Oh! Thank you!" She clutched at the stone firmly, drawing it close to her chest. A soft glow emanated from it.

Elysa paused. "Actually," she said slowly, "maybe I will hire you. I do need a job done."

"Eh?" Gregor looked up at her.

"I was… initially on my way to Regna Ferox. I need you to go there in my place. Find the Ylissean prince and princess, and tell them that the exalt has been captured by the Plegians."

"Ah, yes, this Gregor can do! But what of payment?"

Elysa winced. "Well, I don't really have any gold on me right now. You could collect payment from the prince though, I'm sure…" She reached up and brushed her hair back, and her hand grazed the necklace's chain. _Oh._ She lifted her arms and unclasped the necklace, holding it out in front of her. The crystal caught the moonlight, sparkling. Gregor raised his eyebrows. "Take this, for now," Elysa said. "Give it to the prince when you find him."


	9. A Dark Past

"Ho, boy!"

Basilio's booming voice caught Chrom's attention. He jumped slightly, cleared his throat, and composed himself before he turned around. "How may I help you?"

The dark-skinned man was striding down the long hall to the table that he, Frederick, Flavia and Lissa were seated at, flanked by a handful of soldiers. Behind him stood a grubby-looking man, accompanied by a young girl with long green hair, tied back with a pink bow. "This scoundrel claims he's looking for you."

The man scowled. "Oy, scoundrel?" he exclaimed, "Gregor not scoundrel!" He looked at his companion. "Wee one, tell them! Gregor is good man!"

Basilio growled. "We ought to trust the word of you and this poor child you've kidnapped, eh?"

The girl piped up. "I'm _not_ a child," she said pointedly, but not impolitely. "I'm a manakete, and I'm likely far older than you. You can call me Nowi." She looked at Chrom. "And yeah, Gregor is a pretty good guy! He's been looking out for me since the Grimleal caught me."

 _A manakete... she's a dragonkin?_ Chrom studied the girl's youthful face, his eyes traveling to the glowing orb in her hands.

"The Grimleal?" Frederick stood, his face stern. "Are they active in these parts once more?"

Flavia shook her head. "Nay, but in Plegia, there has been word of their revival."

"That's nothing but bad news," Frederick muttered, plopping heavily back into his chair.

"But the girl is here, and safe!" Lissa pointed out. "So that's _good_ news, at least. But how come you're looking for Chrom?"

Gregor winced. "Ah, Gregor have more of the bad kind of news. Grimleal lady, she sent Gregor to—"

Nowi elbowed him in the side. By Gregor's yelp, Chrom could assume that the little girl's elbows were quite bony and painful. "She _wasn't_ Grimleal, remember? She wanted to help." Gregor pouted, rubbing his ribs.

"Yes, yes. Fake-Grimleal lady, then. She told us find Chrom, tell him Ylissean exalt taken by Plegians. Prince will rescue exalt, no?"

There was a collective, sharp intake of breath. Chrom's heart plummeted. "No," he said, "it can't be…"

"The lady didn't look like she was lying," Nowi offered.

"Who exactly was this 'fake Grimleal lady?'" Basilio folded his arms. "How are we to know this isn't some sort of trap?"

"If trap, Gregor not paid very well in compensation for dangerous job!" The mercenary exclaimed. "Lady say Prince will pay Gregor more for good information."

"What was her name?" Frederick pressed.

"Uh, Gregor trying to remember…." He tapped his chin.

Nowi sighed. "Elysa," she said. "Her name was Elysa." She held out her hand to Chrom. He stepped forwards, and opened his palm. The girl dropped a small, weighted object into his open hand. Chrom felt a new wave of emotion surge over him as the crystal caught the light.

"Oy!" Gregor exclaimed. "Wee one stole meager payment from Gregor?" He looked at Nowi, his expression hurt. Nowi laughed.

"You're hired," Chrom said, his voice hoarse. "And you'll be compensated." Gregor grinned widely.

"See?" Nowi said, smiling up at him, "it all worked out!"

Chrom's hand closed around the pendant. "He's telling the truth." Chrom turned to the others, his brow furrowed, knuckles white around his closed fist. Lissa looked at him curiously. "We must march to Plegia at once. Emmeryn is in danger – and I think Elysa might be, too."

"Sire," Frederick's face was fraught with worry, "how can you know for sure that these people are telling the truth?"

Before Chrom could reply, his little sister was prying his fist open, and she caught sight of the necklace. "Does that belong to Elysa?" She looked up at Chrom, understanding surfacing in her eyes.

"Yes," Chrom said quietly. "It was a gift. When she left, I thought she'd have certainly gotten rid of it…"

"Boy," Basilio clapped him on the back, and Chrom yelped in a very un-lord-like way. "Now isn't the time to pander to your youthful romantic notions," the khan said sternly. "We've got a rescue mission to mount."

"Indeed," Flavia said, giving Basilio a little shove, as if to remind him that _she_ was the ruling khan now. "We're yours to command, Chrom. Let's go get your sister – and your lady love," she cast Chrom a wink before striding away from the table, presumably to make her own preparations.

"She's not—" Chrom began to protest, but Lissa kicked him in the shins. "Ow!"

"Stop that," she frowned, "you know she left for your sake, but do you really think she doesn't care for you? …not that I support you cohorting with _any_ random lady we find in the fields, but, I'd make an exception for Elysa. She's a good person, and she put your best interest first, even if it hurt terribly for her."

Chrom frowned. "Are you some sort of mind-reader now, Lissa?"

Lissa kicked him again. "No, you're just dense! I saw the way that you looked at her – and she, you. Emmeryn is our first priority now, and clearly that's what Elysa's onto as well, but you need to get things straight within yourself. Be honest with your own feelings!" She moved to give him another kick, but Chrom dodged out of the way this time.

"…you're right," he said reluctantly. Lissa tipped her chin up triumphantly. Chrom rolled his eyes, but patted his sister on the shoulder nevertheless. Lissa was certainly terrified for Emmeryn too, and Chrom knew her well enough to recognize that her banter was no doubt an attempt to cover it. For a moment, he was overwhelmed with emotion for his sisters: gentle affection for Lissa, and a mixture of frustration and fear over Emmeryn's position.

"Let's go save Emm."

* * *

 _Worshippers of the Fell Dragon, Grima._ The line was on every single text and parchment she'd pored over, in the hours she'd spent in the Plegian library. Elysa had been right: she was allowed passage into the city with no contest, and the people there even treated her with the same respect that Charlard and his company had. But the more she read, the more uneasiness she felt.

Elysa's eyes wandered over to the back of her right hand. The Mark of Grima. She had a name for it now – and knew with certainty that she was one of them. But why did she feel such a strong aversion? If this was her true heritage, her true past, why was she not relieved to find out? Even if they were a sinister group, they had been her family of sorts… right? She covered the mark with her other hand, and closed her eyes tightly. Not only that, but she was… "Fell-blood." A direct descendant of Grima. She was a _noble_ amongst the Grimleal… surely the Ylisseans must have recognized the mark, and yet they did not cast her out. _No wonder Frederick had his apprehensions,_ she thought to herself.

She bit her lip. Chrom and Lissa must have advocated for her. And maybe Emmeryn, too. But did she really earn their trust? Her stomach churned at the thought that perhaps she was some sort of spy sent to infiltrate Ylissean territory. She felt a tear prick at the corner of her eye. Wiping it away frustratedly, she snuffed the candle at the table, standing up with a loud clatter of the wooden chair.

Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest as she turned to find herself face-to-face with another woman. "Gods," Elysa muttered. "Who are you, what are you doing…?"

"Watching you," the woman said casually, brushing her long, raven-colored hair out of her eyes. The gold circlet around her head glimmered unnaturally. Elysa looked her up and down. She was dressed rather… scantily, but recognizably in the robes of a mage. A dark mage, probably, if she was nosing around in the Grimleal's archives.

"Well, excuse me, but I've got to get going," Elysa tried to step to the side, but the woman held out a hand, pressing it against Elysa's chest at her collarbone. Elysa felt her blood run cold. "W-what are you doing?"

"Hm," the woman said, tipping her head thoughtfully, nibbling on her lip. Her eyes slid up to Elysa's, and she looked around, checking to see if anyone else was nearby. They were alone. Elysa's hand crept over to her tome. The woman frowned. "Oh, please," she rolled her eyes. "If I wanted to hurt you, I would've done so while your back was turned." She pulled her hand away from Elysa, who pulled her cloak around herself a little more tightly. The woman beckoned, heading towards the stairs to the exit. "Come with me," she said.

"Excuse me?" Elysa said incredulously.

The woman turned, giving her a withering look. "You need a place to spend the night, don't you? Unless you're planning on sleeping on this table. I know _I'd_ rather not sleep in a chair, and I'd have to stay here to watch over you, so I'd rather you come to the inn. I'll pay for your stay, and you can lodge in the room next to mine."

Elysa felt red flags going up everywhere. _What's with this woman? And her familiarity?_ "Who _are_ you?" she asked.

"Tharja," the woman sighed. "And you're Elysa. I didn't expect to see you again."

 _She knows my name._ "Again…?" Elysa echoed.

"Yes, again," Tharja said, a mocking tone creeping into her voice. She cleared her throat irritably. "We shouldn't talk here. Someone might catch us. For the love of gods or dragons or whatever, _please_ come with me. I promise, I'll tell you what you want to know."

Elysa hated it, but the woman was right. She did need to find a place to stay for the night, and she didn't have any money on her. And if Tharja meant to kill her, she probably would've by then, like she'd said. Maybe she'd learn something more about her past. Tharja started walking off, and Elysa found herself trailing along close behind.

The inn wasn't too far off from the library. As promised, Tharja paid for a room for her, and marched off down the hall. Elysa took the key from the person at the inn's front desk, and uncertainly followed Tharja upstairs. The dark mage stopped in front of the fourth door down the hall. "This one's mine," she said, jerking her thumb towards it, "and that one'll be yours." She pointed to the next room down the hall. Elysa walked over and inserted the key into the lock. It turned smoothly. "Now, do you want to chat in here, or in your room?"

"Um," Elysa kicked her boots against the doorframe. "Yours will do," she decided. She locked her door again.

In Tharja's room, there were two chairs pulled up next to a small round table. Tharja kicked her shoes off and slid into one of the chairs. Elysa sat across from her.

"Let's cut right to the chase," Tharja said, locking her dark eyes with Elysa's. She inhaled deeply, and folded her hands on the table, listening intently. "The last time I saw you was around six years ago. But you look almost the same," Tharja paused, cracking a smile. "I'd know those eyes, that hair, anywhere. And that cloak."

"Whose… whose cloak is this?" Elysa fingered the hem of the hood.

"Your mother's," Tharja said matter-of-factly. "She was Grimleal. I'm not, though, for the record. But your mother and I, we were friends when we were young. We were barely seventeen when the Grimleal came for her. But even then I watched over her, when Validar chose her to bear his child and continue the line of Fellbloods, because I knew she didn't want to — but he killed her family and took her away. She tried to take her own life while she was with them, but I stopped her. They caught me, of course, but I'm a dark mage of Plegia; we're rather friendly with the Grimleal. And in their eyes, I'd saved their lord's new wife. I couldn't let Ellaria die like that, though."

"Ellaria," Elysa whispered. "Is that my mother's name?"

Tharja nodded. "Yes, that was her name."

 _Was._ Elysa felt a pang.

"After you were born, she regained a sense of purpose in life. I was allowed to see her every now and then – and she would talk about you every single time, show you off to me. Even though she tried to keep you away from the other Grimleal. Validar was content enough to keep you secluded for the most part. He didn't want anything happening to his successor... But that was a fatal mistake.

Ellaria waited. She waited thirteen years, until you were old enough to wield a sword, and conjure some magic – although, mind you, she kept you away from the dark arts. Only anima magic for her little princess," Tharja rolled her eyes.

"Anyway. Thirteen years. There you are, all 'grown up.' So Ellaria decided it was time. She and I stole off into the night, you trailing along with us, and we traveled far, far out of reach of these lands, to the east. As we departed, I cast a hex on those I'd known – they'd forget that I'd ever existed. But I couldn't do the same for Ellaria and you, because Validar was far beyond my reach and capabilities. Nevertheless, she was confident that you'd be able to keep running. And she _did_ manage to keep running, from Validar, at least... But she couldn't run from the illness that struck her. It came upon her suddenly and violently; she was well one day, and dead not long after. So it was just me and you; except you apparently didn't want that, so you ran off without me." Tharja gave her another withering look. Elysa grimaced.

"Why would I do that, if you were my... my protector?"

Tharja threw up her hands. "The hell if I knew. But I knew better than to give chase – Ellaria had trained you well, and by then you were as headstrong as your mother. But I still kept tabs on you every now and then. I was very attuned to your aura. Those tabs ran out a few months ago… which is around when I'm guessing you lost your memory?"

"How do you know about that?" Elysa asked. "How do I know all this is true?"

"Look," Tharja said, sighing deeply. "Like I said, attunement to you. It takes _years_ to get this kind of connection with someone. I can't do this with just anyone – so I felt your presence when you entered the city. I felt your confusion like it was my own. Here, experience it for yourself…" Tharja offered her hand. Elysa took it, hesitantly. A moment passed without event, but then her mind was awash with vividly clear images. _A younger Tharja, running through the woods with a slender, blue-haired, dark-eyed woman, a child in tow. The woman's face, contorted in pain, a fever's sweat slicking her brow. The woman, dead. The child, now further grown up…_ Although the images were clear, they were fleeting. But nonetheless, Elysa recognized herself. But more importantly, she felt the waves of emotions, emotions that were not her own... so she could only assume them to belong to Tharja.

Tharja sat back in her chair, pulling her hand away. She scowled, clearly a little uncomfortable at the exposure. "Here," she said, reaching into a satchel by her bedside and tossing Elysa a silk attached to a ring and bangle. She took Elysa's hand again and slipped the half-glove on. "To cover the Mark. Validar has had a few children since you, but none have borne the Mark. They still prance around like royalty, though, hoping for his _validation._ " She cackled at her own pun. Elysa couldn't help but crack a smile as well.

"Tharja," she said quietly, moving her hand over the soft fabric, "I don't know how to thank you. And I'm sorry for doubting you earlier… I feel now, in my heart, that you are sincere."

"Wonderful," Tharja said dryly, but Elysa caught the pleased expression that briefly crossed the mage's face. "Everyone deserves to know the truth about themselves. Death comes for all of us – and we can only hope to die as our own person. That's why I'd never join the Grimleal. Swear my soul to the Fell Dragon? No, thanks. I'll pass." She yawned. "Go get some rest. If you keep that thing on and you're not a bumbling idiot, you should be safe in this city. Until the Ylisseans come for their exalt, that is. Which could be any time now."

"I have to help her," Elysa said, clenching her jaw. Tharja rolled her eyes.

"Of course you do. Goody-two-shoes. Well, I'm not letting you out of my sight again... For Ellaria's sake, of course. At least humor me and get some sleep before you decide to go around and play the hero."

Elysa smiled genuinely, for the first time in a few days. "Thank you, Tharja. Goodnight."

* * *

" _Master Grima. Exalt Emmeryn is to be put to death on the morrow. Events will soon be set back on course."_

"… _."_

" _Ha, yes. I should never have doubted the truth of your words. The yoke of destiny cannot be cast off! Even as they resist, they write your future with every step, O great one!"_

* * *

Elysa jerked upright, looking around her room, her heart pounding. She was still in the inn. _Was I dreaming?_ She closed her eyes again for a moment.

 _Exalt Emmeryn is to be put to death on the morrow._

That voice. It was so familiar, but she couldn't place it. The memory was just out of her reach. Looking out the window, Elysa squinted, and could make out the faint glow of pre-dawn light. Urgency rose in her chest. Throwing her sheets off, she rushed to wake Tharja.

Emmeryn was in danger.

* * *

 **AN: Okay, so I took Tharja on my own happy little headcanon. Questions, concerns, complaints, please drop me a review as to what you think of my version of her!**


	10. Emmeryn

**AN: A quite little note about Tharja, re: Fregler's review. My rendition of Tharja is not a much-older version; in fact, I imagine her to look exactly as she does in-game. Awakening does a pretty good job about being ambiguous about a lot of characters' ages, as I think I mentioned before, but I imagine Tharja to be in her mid-30's. She described Ellaria as being 17 when she was "chosen by Validar." Elysa doesn't quite know how old she is at this time, but let's pin her at 20ish, possibly a year or two younger. So, that would put Tharja at roughly ~37ish. But I'd expect someone who dabbles in dark (or otherwise taboo) forms of magic to have some sort of anti-aging magic going on. And with Tharja's risqué clothing entourage, it's safe to say that she's definitely proud of her preserved youth.**

 **Ahem. As promised, next chapter.**

* * *

Tharja wasn't too pleased with the early-morning awakening, but nonetheless, she packed her belongings up and brought Elysa down the winding streets of the capital and to the shadows of the Plegian palace. A large courtyard, lined with rows of pillars, sat below a huge natural outcropping of sandstone rock. The palace sat on a plateau behind it. Lining the courtyard and parapets above, Plegian soldiers stood firm against the rising skyline.

"They're definitely up to _something_ ," Tharja murmured. "You've got your mother's intuition, you know that?"

"I mean, I did become a tactician somewhere along the line," Elysa gave her a wink. She had known Tharja for less than a whole day – within her memory – but the mage's presence already felt familiar and comforting. Someone was there who cared for her, remembered her.

 _But Chrom was like that, too._ She started to push the thought away, but stopped herself.

 _Chrom. He'd better arrive soon._ She prayed that Nowi and Gregor had found their way to him, and that the Feroxi soldiers hadn't cut the pair down somewhere along the way.

An elbow brought her attention back to the present. Tharja nodded towards the outcropping. "There," she said. "The exalt." Surely enough, Emmeryn was moving up the outcropping, flanked on both sides by Gangrel's soldiers. From this distance, it was hard to tell, but she seemed to be unharmed. _For now, at least,_ Elysa thought grimly.

She glanced around. She and Tharja were standing off to one side of the courtyard, by a break in the wall that separated it from the city. The soldiers had clearly caught sight of them already, but a Plegian mage and a Grimleal were allies in their minds, and no one had come to bother the pair.

"Was my mother an optimist?" Elysa asked, earning her a raised eyebrow from Tharja.

"Was she _what?_ She tried to kill herself once, if that speaks to anything."

Elysa winced. "Well, then maybe she and I are quite different. I have a plan – but it banks on a lot of 'what if's' and hopeful assumptions."

"Gods help us," Tharja sighed. "Well, what do you intend to do?"

* * *

"You must be mad, separating us up like this," Vaike muttered. Frederick shot him a sidelong glare.

"Now is _not_ the time to be questioning your lord," he said sternly. Vaike grumbled something else incomprehensible under his breath.

Chrom's grip tightened around Falchion. He felt Lissa's hand cover it delicately. "Hey," she said, offering him a reassuring smile. "It'll be okay. Soon we'll be swapping stories with Emm on the way home." He looked at his sister gratefully.

"I pray you're right, Lissa."

His move was certainly risky, and Vaike's stilted comment did little to assuage his worries. It depended greatly on Basilio and Flavia's ability to get around the flank and get close enough to take the parapets, so that Chrom's group would be able to fight their way in from the other side. As far as he could tell, they were staying close enough to the outer wall for now to go unnoticed, but once they approached the courtyard there would be no way out of open engagement with the enemy.

He turned to glance at Cordelia, whose pegasus was clearly anxious, but well-trained enough to not bolt. "Are you sure you can handle the archers above?"

Cordelia clenched her jaw. It was supposed to be her job to fly up and take out the soldiers on the upper wall once they engaged the Plegians. Before she could speak, Stahl interrupted. He dismounted his horse.

"She'll be fine," he said firmly. "Cordy," the green knight looked up at her. "take me up there with you. I'll help you comb through them.

 _Cordy?_ Chrom gave Stahl a look of surprise, the cogs in his brain creaking slowly. _'Cordy'...? Wait a second... Cordelia and... Stahl?! When did...?!_

He shook his head. Now was _not_ the time for these musings.

"Good people!" A voice rang out across the courtyard. The Shepherds froze.

"Plegian king," Gregor said urgently. "Wee one, are you certain you don't want to hide away from battle?"

Nowi scowled. "I'll be just fine, I'm—"

Gangrel's booming voice continued, and Gregor covered Nowi's mouth, hushing her.

"Warriors and citizens of Plegia! Welcome! Your anticipation electrifies the air! We ALL remember the crimes of Ylisse... Would you have their witch-queen answer for them? Here? Today? NOW? YEEEEEEEEEEEES! Finally, we will have JUSTICE! ...Executioner?"

From within the courtyard, a cry went up from the assembled soldiers.

"Gods," Chrom drew his blade. "We might be too late—"

Then he heard a clamor. The familiar clanking of steel, and a commotion going up from the soldiers. Some poured out from the front of the courtyard. As they did, Chrom caught sight of a hand axe whipping through the air, followed by a volley of arrows.

"Now!" Chrom shouted, and his unit charged forwards. He saw Flavia and Basilio with their soldiers up on the right-hand parapets, while Chrom's group approached from the left. The soldiers that had exited the gate turned to meet them. There was a rush of wing-beats as Cordelia and Stahl took to the air atop her pegasus.

"Shoot true, Ruffles!" Sully shouted, blocking off some soldiers that were charging their way, protecting Virion so that he could cover them from the back line.

Then Chrom saw Emmeryn. She stood atop the high rock over the courtyard, looking down at the developing chaos below. "EMM!" He shouted to her at the top of his lungs. She looked at him, and he could make out an expression of mixed relief and distress. "We're coming!"

Gangrel's voice screeched out again. "Soldiers! The exalt isn't going anywhere. Take out these rats first!"

* * *

"Unbelievable," Tharja muttered. Elysa's heart had quickened when she heard Chrom's shout above the clamor. _He's really here... he made it!_ She fought to maintain her composure.

She and Tharja had made their way to a small garrison at the outer entrance to the courtyard, offering their combat services to the general stationed there. Through the gate, she had seen Cordelia take to the sky, Stahl mounted with her, and the pair managed to take the left-hand parapets. The other Shepherds were hopefully close behind.

"G-general Campari!" A Plegian soldier was nearby, approaching the heavily armored general. "It's the Ylisseans _and_ Feroxi soldiers!"

"Take a unit out and support the outer line!" Campari growled. Elysa snuck a glance back at him. He was relatively old to be out in the active forces – but from the soldiers' attitudes, he was clearly a respected Plegian military leader. He met her eyes, and before she could look away, he was approaching. "You, Grimleal. And your companion. Hold here in the garrison. It won't be long before—"

He was drowned out by shouts and the ringing of steel as Frederick broke through the garrison's gate, his armored warhorse plowing down several soldiers. A shadow darted in through the path cleared by the great knight – Lon'qu flew through the courtyard, his blade a dance of death for every Plegian he passed. Tharja immediately pulled Elysa to the side, leaving Campari exposed. "What are you doing?" he bellowed, barely raising his lance in time to deflect a blow from Frederick.

The great knight hadn't noticed Elysa. It was too dangerous to catch his attention now. She'd have to hold out until—

"Gyah!" Tharja dodged to the side, knocking Elysa off-balance. She turned, drawing the Levin Sword as she did so, and whipped the mage behind her as she raised her blade to parry Tharja's attacker.

Lightning flew off of the jagged steel edge as Falchion landed heavily against the parry, making her arm ring with pain. Chrom's face, twisted with battle fury, filled her field of view. Her hood fell back, and his eyes widened in recognition.

"E-Elysa?!"

She saw a Plegian soldier raising his axe behind the Ylissean prince. She disengaged, sweeping Chrom's blade to the side, and pointed the tip of the Levin Sword over his shoulder. A bolt of lightning sprung from its tip, striking the soldier square in his chest. He slumped lifelessly to the ground.

"Yes, me," Elysa smiled, looking at Chrom in relief, the blood pounding in her ears.

"What are you doing here?" Chrom exclaimed.

"You don't think you owe me an apology for charging in here like a barbarian? Some 'prince' you are," Tharja said dryly, folding her arms. Behind them, Frederick galloped past, cutting down the entirety of the small garrison. Campari had fallen as well.

Chrom looked at the dark mage in confusion. "Who are you?"

"A friend," Elysa said, raising a hand before Tharja could give a snarky reply. "I'll explain more later. We need to get to Emmeryn." Chrom nodded.

"Onwards, milord!" Frederick shouted, pulling up to the three. Blood dripped from his silver lance. Lissa beamed upon catching sight of the tactician.

"Elysa!" She said, "Thank goodness you sent us that warning. We might not have made it in time if—"

"It is too soon to celebrate yet, princess," Frederick warned. "Keep up the healing work – you're doing well, but the battle is not quite won yet." Lissa clicked her jaw shut, and gave a yelp as Frederick kicked his horse, galloping out into the fray. Chrom ran after him, Elysa and Tharja not far behind.

Between the Feroxi forces and Chrom's Ylissean unit, they had cleared a way into the courtyard. Elysa glanced up at the parapets. They had been cleared as well; no volleys of arrows flew down at them from the cliffs, either. But then they heard a distant roar.

They turned around, and in the sky to the north, they saw a brigade of dark-winged figures, rapidly approaching.

"Wyvern riders!" Elysa shouted, her voice rising just enough above the crowd to alert their allies. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Tharja gave her a wry smile.

"Your turn to shine," the dark mage grinned, and opened her hands before Elysa. She felt a wave of energy surging through her as Tharja lent her a portion of her power, and the magic rose within her, a familiar, invigorating feeling. She reached for her tome.

"Chrom," she said, "make sure the pegasus knights stay clear." The prince gave her a look of confusion, but nodded, and then made to signal Cordelia.

The riders drew nearer. Elysa opened the tome, palm up, and it unlocked at her will, the pages rustling and whipping through by an otherworldly wind. She raised her other arm over the runes, and closed her eyes for a moment. Her mind wrapped itself around the magic, the element coursing through her for a brief, jarring moment, before she lifted her other hand to the sky.

" _Arcthunder!"_

Red lightning sprung from her fingertips. It bolted across the distance between her and the wyverns, and split into wicked bolts. The light of the sun paled in comparison to the red-and-white flames that erupted around the wyverns and their riders as the magic consumed them, and they fell, one by one, to the desert below.

Elysa staggered slightly, and Chrom caught her arm. "Gods," he said, looking at her in awe. "I'm glad to have you back on our side." She laughed breathlessly, glancing back at Tharja, who gave her a nod of approval.

Chrom cupped a hand around his mouth, and turned towards the far wall. "Phila! The skies are clear! Now!"

From the east, the pegasus knights rushed in, Phila leading them. They rose into the sky above the courtyard. Phila called out to Emmeryn.

"Your Grace!"

Emmeryn called out to them, the outcropping now clear of Plegian soldiers. "Phila! I'm so glad to see you're safe! But how—"

"Khan Basilio's men freed me. Come, we must hurry!"

Gangrel howled. "DAMN YOU! Traitorous Grimleal! You do _NOT_ play fair!"

Then there was a shift in the air. Elysa's attention brought itself towards a dark figure standing beside the Plegian king. Dark magic swirled around her cloak. From the distance, Elysa couldn't make out her features clearly… but she felt as if she'd seen the woman before. A terrible feeling rose in her gut. The courtyard was filling with purple smoke.

"Fall back!" She tried to call out a warning, but it was too late. The smoke slowly cleared, revealing decrepit humanoid figures. _The creatures from the woods,_ Elysa realized in horror. She watched helplessly, as if in slow motion, as the Risen lifted phantasmal bows, loosing a volley of arrows into the sky. Caught by surprise, the pegasus knights were struck, over and over again. Riders toppled from their mounts, and the pegasi either scattered or were shot down themselves.

Phila herself struggled to maintain her balance on her wounded pegasus. Her back was dotted with black arrows, and her mount was stained with its own blood. It spiraled down, towards the courtyard, and crash-landed, tumbling across the ground nearby to Elysa and Chrom. They rushed to her side, but Elysa knew it was futile.

Phila rolled off of the pegasus's corpse, gasping for breath herself. She slumped over. "Y-your Grace," she coughed, looking up at Chrom in horror. "F-forgive… me… I… …"

" _Phila!"_ Emmeryn screamed from above. Chrom and Elysa looked at Phila's body in horror.

"No, no, no," Elysa clenched her fist.

Gangrel's laughter echoed across the courtyard. " _Exeunt_ one pegasus captain! Bwah hahaha! I believe this is what they call, _a reversal of fortunes?_ Now… grovel before me! Plead! Beg for your worthless lives!"

"Never!" Chrom yelled. "I'd give up my life before I'd beg for it from you!"

"Chrom, no—" Elysa reached for him, but he brushed her off.

Gangrel cackled again. "Oh, now THAT is a good line. A fitting epitaph for your tombstone, perhaps? But it's not just your life in the balance. The exalt still stands upon the block. And I have a dozen bows trained on her. All it would take is one word from me..." He lifted his hand, and the archers nocked.

Chrom clenched his fist. "Damn you, Gangrel…! I'll— I'll kill you!"

"Go ahead!" Gangrel jeered. "I welcome it. Just know you were responsible for Big Sister's bloody demise! ...And what of the rest of you? Eh? Who wants the honor of killing the exalt?" His leering gaze swept those gathered below. "...No one? Bah! Your merry band isn't quite so headstrong anymore, is it? Pathetic!"

"...rrgh!" Chrom stabbed the tip of Falchion into the ground before him.

The Plegian king tutted. "Now, now, my boy— no one needs die today. Not you. Not the exalt. Not your friends. Just lay down your sword, and give me the Fire Emblem."

"Chrom, you can't trust him," Elysa said urgently.

Chrom spun around to face her, his expression desperate. "Of course I can't trust him! I'm not an idiot! But if I just say no, he'll kill her...The gods are cruel, damn them. My sister or my duty... A problem with no right answer, yet I must choose!"

"Don't give up," Elysa shook her head desperately. "There has to be a way…"

"If there is, I can't see it… Gods!"

"I will count to three!" Gangrel boomed. "Throw down your weapons, or your exalt becomes the world's largest quiver!" The archers above drew their bows. "ONE! TWO! TH—"

"Hold!" Chrom shouted. "You win." He kicked Falchion over. "Everyone, lay down—"

"No, wait!"

They all looked up to the outcropping. Emmeryn's voice, though soft, projected clearly down to the courtyard below.

"Silence, witch!" Gangrel snapped.

"King Gangrel," Emmeryn murmured, "is there no hope you will listen to reason?"

"You mean listen to more of your sanctimonious babble?! I think not. No, all I want to hear now is the THUNK of arrows, and a SPLAT as you hit the ground. Take one, long, last look from your perch. You do _so_ enjoy looking down on people... Then prepare to meet the ground, and your maker! That is, unless someone were to give me the Emblem... NOW!"

"ALL RIGHT!" Chrom shouted. "All right…" He looked up at Emmeryn. Elysa could see a tear welling in the corner of his eye. "Emm, I know you won't approve, but this is my final decision. _Maybe_ someday we'll face a crisis where _maybe_ the Emblem would've helped... But I know for a _fact_ that Ylisse needs you, today! The people need their exalt... And Lissa and I… we need our sister. If those dark days should come, we'll face them together."

"Chrom," Emmeryn reached out her hand towards her younger brother. "...Th-thank you. I now know what I must do. I love you… you and Lissa both."

"Emm… Emm, what—"

Emmeryn spread her arms. "Plegians! I ask that you hear the truth of my words! War will win you nothing but sadness and pain, both inside your borders and out. Free yourselves from this hatred! From this cycle of pain and vengeance. Do what you must... As I will do. See now that one selfless act has the power to change the world!"

Time slowed down for a moment. Elysa saw Emmeryn cast Chrom and Lissa one more forlorn, sad glance, and then smiled softly. Chrom, realizing what she was about to do, sprinted towards his older sister. The Risen archers lifted their bows. Elysa threw herself forwards, grabbing Chrom and knocking him to the ground, and a spray of arrows whizzed over their heads. As Tharja spoke a dark incantation, a flux of dark magic whirled between them and the Risen.

Then the exalt pressed her hands together, as if in prayer, and tipped herself over the edge of the precipice.

"EMM! No… NO!"


	11. Renewal

"Chrom."

He heard her call his name, but it sounded far away, as though he were in a bubble.

" _Chrom, please._ "

He bent over, placing his hands on his knees. His boots sank into the mud, dotted with growing puddles of rainwater. The rain fell at a steady pace, dripping off his hair and down his face, mingling indiscriminately with his tears.

Then she grabbed his face, her soft hands cupping his chin firmly, moving his head up. "We have to go."

Chrom's senses returned to the present. His vision focused on Elysa, and then past her, where the others were either mounted on their respective beasts or sitting atop a wooden wagon. Basilio stood on the front seat, next to the driver, a pink-haired girl dressed in white dancer's clothes.

"Move it, boy!" Basilio bellowed. Elysa grabbed his arm, and pulled with all her might. He staggered forwards, and Flavia and Vaike yanked him up into the wagon.

* * *

The rain persisted even as they pulled into Regna Ferox. The wagon parked in the courtyard by the stables, and the others were quick about getting inside to shelter and warmth. Elysa stood to follow them, but glanced back at Chrom. He was still seated, his elbows resting on his knees, head bent.

"Milady," Frederick offered her his hand. "Give him a moment to himself."

Lissa sniffled, moving past the knight. "Princess, you'll catch a cold out here," Lon'qu said quietly, placing a hand on Lissa's back as he ushered her inside rather than wait for her brother – an unusually tender act for the typically cold swordsman. Lissa looked up at Chrom once more, and opened her mouth to say something, but instead turned away, following Lon'qu into the building.

Elysa took Frederick's offered hand, and began to step down from the wagon, but she felt a tug. Surprised, she looked over her shoulder. Chrom had his hand on the hem of her cloak. He pressed his eyes shut tightly before looking up at her.

"Elysa… Wait," he said hoarsely. "...you can go, Frederick."

Frederick obediently released Elysa's hand, after making sure she had firm footing, and gave them a small bow before wordlessly heading after Lissa and Lon'qu.

Chrom released her cloak, and she sat back down, across from him. She pulled the edges of her hood a little further around her face in an effort to shield herself from the rain, and folded her hands in her lap.

"Chrom, I… I'm so sorry. I wasn't... I couldn't—"

"You did your best, Elysa," Chrom said, looking up at her. His eyes were slightly reddened, and he drew a shuddering breath. "And you have my thanks. You came back to us at our time of need, and… and it is only my own failures that I have to blame. Gods…" He bent his head again, his fist clenching in frustration. "I was so _powerless_!"

"It was _not_ your fault," Elysa said insistently.

Chrom shook his head. "She... She did it for me, Elysa. So that I wouldn't have to live with the guilt of choosing her or the Emblem, she chose for me. She sacrificed herself rather than give up what could one day save her people... For a 'what if' situation." He clenched his fist.

Elysa hesitated for a second, then reached out to gently cover his tensed hands with hers. "Chrom," she said quietly. "Listen to me. Look at me." He looked into her dark grey eyes.

"I was powerless once, too; when you found me in the field. Powerless… and alone. And maybe neither you nor I are half the person Emmeryn was, but I... I'll be your strength. I'm sorry that I left before."

"I didn't want you to," Chrom said, an edge in his voice.

"I know, and neither did I, but I thought… I thought maybe it was for the best."

"Why?"

Elysa's breath hitched, and she shook her head. "I don't— I don't think now is the time to get into that." She squeezed his hand. "But I promise you: I'll do everything in my power to show you that you are _not_ powerless. If you fall, I'll be there to pull you back up. When you fight for your sister's ideals, I'll be by your side. You don't have to become your sister, you know. You can still be true to yourself. You just have to give people hope in whatever way you can."

"And what if I can't?" He asked, his voice hollow. "What if I'm not worthy of her ideals? Elysa... what if I drag you down with me?"

"You'll keep at it until you _are_ worthy. And if we both go down – well, that's what friends are for, right?" She cracked a small smile. He looked down, and she began to withdraw her hands as he relaxed slightly. Chrom took her left hand, holding it back. The rain had made the silk that Tharja had given her to cover her Mark slightly transparent, and Chrom his thumb over it.

"I need you to know something," she said, pulling away. He looked slightly wounded. "When I was in Plegia, I filled in some of the holes from my past. I'm – well, I _was_ – Grimleal. I was born into their line of nobility." She forced herself to maintain eye contact with him, even as the confession made her want to get up and flee. "I carry the blood of the Fell Dragon. My mother and Tharja, they stole me away from them to make sure that I didn't lead that life, but—"

Chrom placed two fingers over her lips. "I don't care," he said. She blinked. "I don't care where or how you were born, because what matters to me are your words just now, and your actions since the day I met you. You're right. Even if I can't do anything on my own, even if neither of us could ever be Emmeryn… maybe, together, we can be something more."

Relief and warmth flooded her chest, and she smiled gratefully. She cleared her throat.

"Speaking of togetherness," she tugged at his wrist to pull his hand away from her covered mouth, "the others are waiting. And we really ought to get out of the rain."

Elysa stood, pulling him with her. They hurried indoors, and she peeled her wet hood off of her face, brushing aside the damp strands of hair that clung to her cheeks. Chrom pushed his dripping bangs out of his eyes, unintentionally flicking water at her. She blinked the water out of her eyes and laughed, reaching up to wipe her face again. Chrom's hand slipped off of hers, his touch lingering for a moment.

"Milord, milady," Frederick cleared his throat politely. "The khans would like your audience." Chrom nodded, and they followed Frederick down to the main hall.

There, the Shepherds were assembled in a damp, bedraggled heap. Feroxi servants had handed out towels and cloths, and everyone was wrapped up and shivering slightly. Basilio was pulling some of the standing braziers closer to where they were all seated.

Flavia sighed upon seeing them approach. She waited for Basilio to put down the brazier he was holding before kicking his foot. "So what now, oaf?"

"Don't look at me," Basilio huffed, "I'm not in charge." He jerked his head towards Chrom and Elysa.

Flavia sighed. "I picked a fine time to regain the whole throne…" she muttered.

"Chrom," Lissa said, her voice cracking. She stood up and wrapped her arms around her brother, getting her dress damp all over again. Lon'qu sighed and reached for another towel. He waited for Chrom to embrace his sister in return before draping it around Lissa's shoulders.

"Milord," Cordelia said quietly, "I… we, rather… are so very sorry for your loss. We have failed you."

"Oh, hush," Tharja said. She gave Elysa a look. "I'm sure the prince has had enough of apologies. Now is not the time to distribute blame amongst ourselves."

"Easy enough for you to say, Plegian _,_ " Flavia spat. Basilio gave her a shove.

"You'd do well to heed her words. She's right," Basilio said, addressing the Shepherds, "Now is not the time for apologies and regrets. Now is the time to pledge to your lord."

"There is a war to be fought," Chrom said with a nod. "My Shepherds… My warriors… there is much work to be done."

Elysa spoke up. "Yes, indeed. Gangrel must be stopped. I fear that there will be no end to this war, no way to return peace to Ylisse, unless we stop his reign of terror."

"...Count me in," Lissa said, wiping her sleeve across her face. "I think… we should take some time tonight to pay respects to Emm. But after that, no more crying. It's time to step up – it's time of punching things!"

"Our hearts all echo yours, princess," Cordelia said quietly.

"Gladly would we fight and kill those dastards for House Ylisse," Sully growled.

"Gladly," Stahl echoed. "I shall fight and die for our country."

"It took great courage and charisma to unite all of us," Virion said. "I address both you, Chrom, and the tactician. Clearly, both of you possess great talents. And it is good to have you back, Elysa."

"How much you pay Gregor?" The mercenary folded his hands, earning a sharp elbow from Nowi. "Ow!" Then he laughed. "No worry! Gregor make joke!"

Frederick placed a hand on Chrom's shoulder. "You have grown strong, milord. I may have set a poor example as a knight... But I swear to you, I shall die before any more exalted blood is spilled."

Chrom looked around, and Elysa could see his affection and pride towards his comrades as much as she felt her own. "Everyone… thank you, truly. Your words mean more than you can know. You honor me with your fealty. I will not falter again. We shall answer this outrage— The Mad King must be stopped!"

Basilio laughed heartily. "You young folk. Your passions run so hot! If I had any gray hairs, you would've singed 'em right off. In other words, count me in, Commander."

"Commander?" Chrom raised an eyebrow, a smile spreading across his face.

The khan nodded. "Indeed," he said. "No more 'boy.' You and Elysa have my every confidence. You're a born leader, she has a natural skill at securing victory on the battlefield. You both have some growing to do yet, but I can already see that you will grow tall, and strong." He cleared his throat and folded his arms. "Now, enough talk! There is certainly much work to be done, and preparations to be made. We must regroup, and march on Plegia sooner rather than later. Flavia and I shall lead the Feroxi troops in a head-on assault. We should be able to hold the Plegian border until Ylisse is ready to mount a full siege."

"Thank you, Basilio..." Chrom said sincerely. "We'll dethrone Gangrel, once and for all."

"Hear, hear!" The Shepherds cheered.

* * *

In the aftermath of the meeting, Elysa had stolen away into the Feroxi halls. She found where the servants had prepared quarters for the Ylisseans to stay, and picked out a small room for herself. She changed out of her damp clothes, and at her request, a bath was prepared. Once she was cleaned and back in a comfortable, dry tunic and breeches, she finally plopped down onto the cot in her quarters, and leaned against the wall with a heavy sigh.

It had been a long, long day. Hell, the last few days had seemed to stretch on for what felt like weeks. _So much has come to pass._ She looked over at her cloak – her _mother's_ cloak – draped over the edge of her bed, and ran her fingers across the patterns. She let her hand slip away and fall to her side, as the memories played in her mind. She saw Sumia's face, the Grimleal caravan, the Plegian archives, the courtyard… Emmeryn.

 _Oh,_ she realized. _I've probably missed any memorial services they've held for her— but perhaps it's not my place to be there... Then again, what right to have to be here at all?_ She winced at the return of her doubt.

As if the gods heard her thoughts as a cue, there was a knock at the door.

"Elysa?"

She looked over. The door was already slightly ajar. "You can come in," she said. The door swung open, and she quickly stood when she saw who her visitor was. "Chrom?"

Chrom pushed the door back to a half-closed position, and looked over at her. He had changed out of his blue jerkin, and his pauldron and cloak were absent as well. In commoner's clothes, with the Brand of the Exalt covered by the short, soft sleeves of a plain tunic, the prince looked significantly different.

 _No... this is Chrom when he's not the prince of Ylisse. When he doesn't have the world on his shoulders, and he's just a man._

"I'm sorry," Elysa said, worried that she was staring too long. "I didn't make it to Emmeryn's—"

Chrom waved his hand in dismissal. "Don't worry about it. I understand. I didn't come to berate you." He shifted his weight, and his hand slipped into one of his pockets. Elysa saw it close around a small item there. "I wanted to speak with you, about earlier."

Elysa inhaled more audibly than she intended. Chrom gave her a worried look. "W-we don't have to, tonight, if you're tired, or…"

She shook her head. "No, it's okay. I... don't mind. But maybe close the door." He nodded in understanding, and pressed the wooden door shut. It clicked softly. When he turned back to her, he pulled his hand from his pocket, and held it closed tightly before him. He took half a step closer.

"Elysa…" he paused for a moment, closing his eyes. "Why did you leave?"

"It was for the best," she said emptily.

Chrom gave her a hard look. "You said that, in your note. For the best of _what?_ "

"For you! It's not…" she trailed off, exasperated. "When— when Sumia died… it was almost as if you were more worried about me than her. She was your ally for much longer than you had known me. It's wrong for me to take the place of importance from someone who had such fealty to you for—"

"How can you tell me that my feelings are wrong?" Chrom furrowed his brow. "Elysa, I… I care about you. I don't know how to explain it, nor do I feel the need to try to defend how I feel, but I felt a... a connection with you. From the day I found you in the field. And the day at the Shepherds' garrison, when I bumbled on about you not being lady-like; I didn't know how to approach these strange, new feelings. I've been courted plenty of times, sure, but—"

This time, Elysa cut him off. "Chrom," she said firmly. "This is… a turbulent and emotional time for you. You're getting ahead of yourself."

"No, Elysa...!" She flinched slightly at his sudden intensity, a stark change from his rambling. "I – I need to say this. Now, more than ever."

"Okay," she said, almost a whisper.

But then he was silent for a moment. "Well, now look at me. I'm not sure how to put things."

Elysa smiled softly. He looked at her for a long time, then opened his hand to her. She looked down, and saw the crystal pendant. "This… this is yours. May I?" he asked.

She pressed her lips together, and nodded wordlessly. Chrom lifted the chain delicately, and then closed the distance between them. He turned her around gently by the shoulders, and brushed her hair aside as he fastened the necklace back around her neck. Her hand went up to touch the pendant as she felt its slight weight when he closed the clasp and stepped away.

"Chrom," she said quietly, turning the clear stone between her fingers. "I... I feel too guilty to—"

"Guilty?" Chrom frowned. "Elysa, you have no reason to feel guilt."

"No reason?" Elysa tensed. " _No reason?_ Sumia is _dead_ because of me. And Emmeryn—"

"Elysa, please, stop." Chrom closed his eyes. She bit her lip, and let him continue. "I'm being a hypocrite by telling you how to feel or not feel, but… we all make our own choices. Sumia was her own person. Emmeryn was her own person. Even so, the void they've left in their wake may be felt by many, but their sacrifices were not in vain. Emmeryn… my sister died as she lived. She was the hope of her people, to the very end. And Sumia—"

"Sumia would still be here if it weren't for me," Elysa interrupted bluntly.

Chrom stared at her. "Elysa… do you truly think that her sacrifice wasn't worthwhile?"

"I don't kn—"

"No." he said firmly. "You're wrong if you think so. It's the horrible truth, but in times of war, sometimes we do have to weigh the weight of one life against another – and for Sumia, that was _her_ call to make."

"She cared about you so much…" Elysa's voice cracked. "How could – how could she choose my life over all of the potential that hers had? Over the possibility of a future of a life beside you?"

"Elysa." Chrom moved closer to her again. She lifted a hand to push him away, but her palm rested against his chest, and she was rooted to the ground. "That future already belonged to someone else." His voice was hushed, but still bore the same tone of intensity. He brought his hand up to Elysa's cheek, and moved her face even closer to his. She could feel his breath; his dark blue eyes filled her view, and his nose brushed hers.

"What if…" she whispered, and looked down. "What if I'm not worthy of that future?" Elysa felt one of his fingers tip her chin up gently, and she met his eyes.

"Well, like you said earlier," Chrom said softly, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled his crooked smile, and a stray teardrop or two escaped down his cheek. "You'll just have to keep at it until you're worthy."

She laughed gently, finally letting her own tears go, as she lifted her hand to cover his against her face. "Chrom…" He leaned in an inch closer.

"Elysa."

She felt his lips almost brush against hers as he spoke, barely set apart from her own, and finally overcame the last of her inhibitions. Closing the negligible gap, she kissed him softly, and immediately felt his free hand come up to gently cup the back of her neck. He kissed her back, deeply, almost urgently. She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, her fingers trailing lightly through his hair. Time seemed to move at a different pace for those moments.

When they finally parted for breath, Chrom pressed his forehead to hers, then pulled her closely to him in a tight embrace. "Elysa," he whispered. "Please don't leave me again." She pressed her face into his shoulder.

"I won't. I promise."

* * *

 **AN: Hope you enjoyed it. This chapter went through a couple different iterations before I settled with this, because I truly believe that the post-Emmeryn events are extremely critical to Chrom's development and forced entry into the responsibilities of leading the halidom. I went through the previous chapters before putting this one up to make sure little tweaks here and there are consistent, because I really wanted the moment for them to be honest to each other to not feel out-of-place.**

 **Be it questions, concerns, comments, complaints, flames, or positive appraisal, reviewing is always appreciated! :)**


	12. Preparations

**Long chapter (fluff!), slightly long AN:**

 **I am very grateful to my readers thus far and any criticisms/reviews I've gotten. Going forwards, as the plot and characters develop, I am actively (retroactively) editing small bits from earlier chapters for consistency, or further exposition, although I am not making any notable changes as far as plot goes.**

 **Additionally, FanFiction has been a little bit finicky about notifications, both update confirmation-wise from my publishing side and new chapter alerts from reader's-sides. My apologies for any inconvenience this has caused; after looking into it, it seems that authors who haven't re-signed the Terms and Guidelines within a certain period of time lose their connection to the email updates…? Things should be all fixed now, though.**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

 _Chrom thrashed in his sleep. The dark figures were there again, as they were every night. Emmeryn was laid out in the midst of them, motionless as they swarmed around her, driving their weapons over and over again into her broken body. He made to run towards her, but his limbs felt heavy and slow, as if he were stuck in mud. Fighting furiously, he managed to break his arm free of whatever spell it was, and reached for Falchion, but the sword was absent from his side. His heart rate doubled and he looked up, desperately trying to catch sight of his sister again, but there was nothing before him but a sea of Risen, their glowing eyes pressing in closer and closer—_

The cloud of his nightmare lifted, and his eyes flew open. He bolted upright, breathing heavily. He felt a pressure on his arm, and his free hand whipped across his body, only to be easily caught by the wrist. He looked over and saw Elysa, her delicate fingers wrapped around his forearm, and the other propping her up against her pillows. Her face was clouded with worry.

He slowly relaxed his arm. "I'm sorry," he sighed. "Did I wake you again?"

She nodded gently, forgivingly, and guided him gently back down onto his back. "It's alright," she said, lacing her fingers with his. "Bad dreams happen to all of us. Try to sleep again."

Chrom shook his head, glancing out the window. "No… it's nearly dawn. I think I'll just stay up. Perhaps _you_ could get a little more rest, though."

"I certainly wouldn't mind that," she murmured, yawning as she sank back down onto her pillows. He tucked her to his side, so that her head rested by his. He took a deep breath, drawing in her calming scent. She hummed softly. "Just… make sure I don't sleep in too late…"

He kissed her forehead lightly. "Of course."

True to his word, Chrom woke her about an hour after sunrise. Elysa blinked her eyes open slowly, mumbling incoherently as her senses came to, one by one. The sunlight streamed in through Chrom's palace windows. His hand squeezed her shoulder gently, and she rolled over, bringing her face-to-face with the prince.

"Oh," she said, flushing at how close they were. He smiled warmly.

"Good morning," he said, sweeping her messy hair out of her face.

"Already?" She sighed, her eyes beginning to drift shut again. Then he planted a kiss on her lips, and she made a small noise of surprise, the sleepiness leaving her immediately.

Chrom laughed. She pushed herself upright, and scowled. "Hey…!"

"Sorry," he said, unapologetically.

Elysa rolled her eyes and swung her legs off the edge of his bed, hopping to her feet. "I'm glad you're in a better mood," she said with a sigh, crossing to the dresser. She heard a rustle of sheets as Chrom stood as well, raising his arms above his head and stretching.

"Well, I have to be by the time morning comes. Perhaps you've granted me the sanction to show my weaknesses by night, but the people, the Shepherds, they need my strength to lead them through this war."

Elysa slipped her nightgown off of her shoulders and changed into her daytime clothes, then picked up her cloak off its hook. Before throwing it on over her top, she turned back to Chrom, and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm happy that I can help in one way or another," she murmured.

Chrom stroked the back of her head, embracing her in return. "Please, you help in more ways than I can count," he laughed. "But I should let you go about your day, so that I don't rob you from your other commitments." He let his arms slip from around her shoulders, and helped her into her cloak. "Oh, don't forget this." He handed her another bolt of fabric, and she gave him a fond smile before taking it from him and clipping it over the cloak. It was a blue and gold mantle, designed in the style of House Ylisse's greatest grandmasters, and it complimented her mother's cloak very well, doubling as a means of covering the Grimleal patterns that adorned her sleeves.

She pulled the hand silk out of her pocket and slipped it onto her wrist. Chrom lifted her hand and kissed her fingers, then turned her towards the door. "I'll see you later," she called over her shoulder, then slipped out into the hallway, pulling the door shut behind her as quietly as possible.

As she rounded the corner that led out of the royal family's wing, she nearly ran into someone going the opposite way.

"O-oh!"

"Apologies, my lady," Lon'qu grimaced, taking a few hurried steps back.

"None needed," Elysa said, smoothing out her clothes. "You're in a hurry," she commented.

Lon'qu had already started walking again, and cast her a backwards, sidelong look of irritation at the further delay. "Indeed," he said simply. "The princess is late for her training. So I've come to collect her myself."

Elysa smiled knowingly. "That's so kind of you."

Lon'qu stopped and fully turned around. "Excuse me?" he said, raising an eyebrow, nearly imperceptibly.

"You've finally warmed up to Lissa. I know she could use a friend at a time like this. And I'm sure she's grateful for your care."

The myrmidon huffed. "Of course. It is my duty…" He scowled. "...and perhaps I've grown fond of her, as well."

"Oh?" Now it was Elysa's turn to stare incredulously. "So perhaps you're… more than friends?" She said teasingly.

A shade of red crept into Lon'qu's face, and he turned around abruptly. "I must be on my way. And I'm sure you should be as well, after spending the early hours yet again with Lord Chrom." With that, Lon'qu folded his hands behind his back and strode off.

Elysa stood there for a moment, embarrassed, then hurried onwards.

 _People are noticing,_ she thought to herself. It had been three days since they had returned to Ylisstol. Three days with Chrom. Lon'qu's passive but prickly statement would've bothered her a few days ago, but now, she allowed herself the joy of being able to openly acknowledge the feelings she had for Chrom – the feelings that she now knew were mutual. And in the shadow of the war, every pleasant moment was invaluable.

She made her way out of the palace, and into the morning sunlight. The day was still young, but she'd need to hurry if she was to make it to all her items for the day in a timely fashion.

* * *

It was early enough yet that the market streets were not as bustling as they would be in a couple of hours, so she was able to procure what she was looking for and make it back to the palace within fifteen or so minutes. She entered the main gates, made her way around to the back fields of the palace grounds, and then out the west gate and into a small, hedge-lined plot of land.

The newest graves were those roughly in the middle of the yard – here were buried the most honored of Ylisse's knights and soldiers, in the plot right beside the nobles' resting grounds. Through the bushes, Elysa could see the small white obelisk that had been erected in Emmeryn's honor; she paused for a moment and said a quick prayer in the late exalt's name, but then continued to her destination.

A chiseled, rose-colored block of marble marked Sumia's grave. It tapered slightly, and was adorned by a pair of wings at the top, as with the other pegasus knights' tombstones, like Phila's, directly adjacent to it. Elysa knelt down in the grass before the small monument, and laid down the fresh bouquet of white daisies over Sumia's final resting place.

"Hello, Sumia," she said softly. "Cordelia told me that you used to spend a lot of time shredding these poor little flowers apart for fortunes and good luck. So I thought I'd bring you some today." She laughed a little to herself at the thought of Sumia, surrounded by a pile of flower petals – _he loves me, he loves me not; he loves me, he loves me not…_

"I'm sorry that I haven't come sooner," Elysa continued. "It's taken me some time to sort things out within myself. And now, I pray that you'll forgive me for finding peace of mind and joy in this life that you've blessed me with, while I was unable to save your own… I swear to all the gods, I'll never forget you, Sumia. And I'll never stop being grateful to you – I owe the strength that got me to who I am and where I am today to you and your sacrifice. ...May you rest in peace."

She sat there in the lush grass for a while, eyes closed, breathing in the scent of the flowers and morning breeze. There was a stirring in her heart – she couldn't quite place it, but somehow, she felt that Sumia was there, and that she could hear Elysa's prayers.

Elysa opened her eyes at the sound of approaching footsteps, unhurried, but purposeful. She looked over her shoulder to see Cordelia rounding the corner, her head slightly bent, long, red hair falling around her face. She sighed heavily, and then caught sight of the tactician.

"Oh," Cordelia said awkwardly, "g-good morning, milady…"

Elysa gave her a smile and shook her head. "Please, Cordelia… there are no need for formalities."

"As you wish, mi— er, Elysa…" They exchanged a glance, and then both laughed. "I apologize for bothering you. I'll come back in the evening, perhaps."

Elysa saw Cordelia tuck a single pink rose behind her back. "No, I'll head out, if you'd like to be alone," she offered, standing. Cordelia looked down at her boots.

"Actually," she said, "would you mind staying a while?"

Elysa smiled. "I think she'd like that," she said, and settled back down. Cordelia tentatively followed suit, slowly pulling out the rose and placing it beside Elysa's daisies.

Elysa sat back on her heels, tipping her head back slightly to catch the warming sunlight across her face, and stealing the occasional glance over at Cordelia. The pegasus knight had her head bowed again, her hands resting in her lap, folded, and her eyes fixed intently on the little pile of flowers laying before her friend's grave.

Some time passed, and eventually Cordelia took a long breath, standing up. "We should head back before people miss us." Elysa nodded and stood as well, stifling a small yawn.

"Indeed," she said, stretching, "I'm sure you're plenty busy with your new duties." Since their return to Ylisse, Cordelia had been nominated by the rest of the pegasus knights as Phila's successor, the new captain of the guard.

Cordelia frowned bashfully. "Please, don't make a fuss about it… I really don't think I deserve it, after all. There are plenty of other knights my senior. And it's not like I've done much good myself… look at all those I've lost." Elysa saw Cordelia's eyes wander across the graveyard, before Elysa reached out and pulled gently on Cordelia's sleeve.

"Nonsense. You're more than worthy," she chided, and led Cordelia back out towards the palace. "Well, only the gods can say who's truly worthy or not… and we'll be judged before them someday. But for now, know that you have the faith of all the people, and my support – if that counts for much." Elysa chuckled.

Cordelia looked at her incredulously, moving in front of Elysa and walking backwards so that she could face the other woman. "Elysa," she said seriously, "of course that 'counts.' Remember... remember what I said to you at camp, on that day? I truly meant that. I think Sumia would have wanted us to be friends –but even if we're only comrades, you're an inspiring person, and your faith means a lot to me." Cordelia fell back into pace with Elysa then, but continued,

"And… I also want to thank you, on both my own behalf and Sumia's. It's evident, and understandable, that Lord Chrom has been having a difficult time since the events in Plegia. But, I've also observed that your presence has a salubrious effect on him. He's very blessed to have you, and I can tell that you're taking good care of him."

Elysa's face reddened slightly. Cordelia laughed, and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. Elysa caught sight of a glimmer on her left hand.

"Oh…?" She said, reaching out and catching Cordelia's wrist. "What's this?" Elysa pulled Cordelia's hand free from her scarlet locks, and turned her palm over. A modestly-sized ruby sat on the knight's ring finger, set in a sparkling silver band.

Cordelia tugged her hand back, covering the ring with her other hand. "He– he apologized for not getting me a proper diamond one, but he insisted that my birthstone suited me more, or something of that sort—"

"Who, now?"

Cordelia's face turned the same color as her hair. "O-oh, uh, Stahl…"

"Stahl? The… one that resembles a limp vegetable?"

"Hey!" Cordelia exclaimed.

Elysa burst out laughing. "I'm only teasing. I don't know him terribly well, but Stahl seems like a very kind person. How did this… come to pass?"

Cordelia smiled to herself. "Well… last year, at Chrom's birthday celebration, I played the harp with the musicians – the other pegasus knights, and the royal orchestra. Apparently my, er, former affections for the lord were a bit too apparent, and Sumia called me out on it. But then, later, Stahl had approached me and told me that my music was rapturous, lovely, et cetera, et cetera–"

"Ahh," Elysa said, "so he won you over with flattery."

"Not quite so, I'm not _that_ air-headed. But Stahl was persistent – a few weeks later, I sat in practice with the others, and he came into the room, producing a harp of his own, that he 'so happened' to pick up at the market. And he asked me to teach him." She smiled fondly at the memory. "I'm a terrible teacher, so naturally, I sent him off on his way, but then he showed up again, not a week later, with some sheet music of his own; somehow, the bloke had managed to teach himself how to read the musical staff, _and_ how to pluck out a melody on his own. The other pegasus knights – Phila especially – were far less than impressed, but at this point, Stahl's persistent and honest efforts were quite… endearing. So I persuaded them to let him stay… and, uh… here we are today. The proposal was... a few nights ago, actually."

"There's still love, and hope, in these times of darkness…" Elysa murmured.

Cordelia nodded. "Indeed," she sighed. "It is at times like these when we must cling most tightly to the things we hold dear. Protecting the ones I love, fighting by their side on the battlefield, that's where my strength and courage come from."

They rounded back to the front of the castle then, and came up on the stretch of land dedicated to the training yard. Lissa stood by the stables, while the guards looked on. In her hand, she held a tall training lance, and she was arguing with one of the stable-hands, while Lon'qu stood behind her, pinching the bridge of his nose and cringing.

"I'm the PRINCESS of Ylisse!" Lissa was shouting. "And this is an ORDER!"

"B-but, milady," the young man stuttered, "Lord Chrom would have my head if I allowed you to do something that could possibly endanger yourself—"

Lissa stomped her foot. "I'm a _fantastic_ equestrian, thank you very much. And riding a pegasus can't be much harder than a stupid horse!"

Cordelia came up to the princess, placing a hand on both her shoulders. She suppressed a laugh, and Elysa chuckled. "Lissa, milady," Cordelia said gently, "I hate to say anything that would put you down, but riding a pegasus for the first time _is_ in fact, quite dangerous. Why do you suddenly have this desire?"

The corner of Lissa's mouth turned down into a half-scowl; the mirror image of Chrom's crooked smile. "I'm having this one— " she jerked a thumb at Lon'qu "—teach me how to fight. But I don't want to sit on Frederick's horse's rump for the rest of my life! What use am I to everyone else on the battlefield? I want to be a falcon knight," she declared, folding her arms across her chest.

Elysa was surprised by Lissa's bold declaration and resolve. Cordelia studied her carefully for a moment. "Most pegasus knights train for a very long time, you know. And the falcon knights are considered highest-tier warriors, but to be fair, that's to accommodate for their training with staves… Very well," she looked to the stablehand. "Pierre, fetch the princess one of the tamer pegasi – one of our domestic-bred ones, if you would. I shall teach the princess how to ride and fight in the air."

Lon'qu groaned. "My lady captain, I must protest," he said gruffly. "Lord Chrom has tasked me with protecting Lady Lissa. How am I to do that if she's drifting around above us all?"

Cordelia looked at him, confused. "She won't be above you _,_ if you don't want her to be. A pegasus can easily support two riders. In fact, perhaps it would help her balance if there was an added weight on the back of her mount for stability."

"And you can carry my staff while I'm stabbing people!" Lissa chirped. Lon'qu rubbed his temples tiredly.

"Elysa."

The gate creaked open, and they turned to see Tharja entering the yard. "Good morning," Elysa greeted her. Tharja made a small reciprocal noise, her bangs shielding her eyes from the sunlight. She stalked over to them.

"You should go with them," the dark mage said, tipping her head towards Pierre, Cordelia, and Lissa, who were headed off, Lon'qu trailing a little ways behind.

"Me?" Elysa pointed a finger at herself, a little bit stupidly.

"Yes, you," Tharja rolled her eyes. "I've been poking around in the stables lately… I think there's something there for you."

Elysa blinked. "Hm?"

Tharja clicked her tongue impatiently, grabbing Elysa by the arm and towing her away. She made her way right up to the long wooden structure that lined one edge of the training yard, the stables. The building spanned easily over two hundred yards, and was two stories tall. Tharja dragged them up the large ramp on one end of the building, and only when the approached the second floor's gate did she release Elysa.

Pierre, the stable-hand, was making his way back out, having just handed Cordelia a saddle. The knight-captain was assisting Lissa with saddling a medium-sized pegasus. Unlike the others, it wore no ornaments in its mane or saddle, signifying that it had not yet taken an official rider. As Cordelia fixed the saddle onto the young pegasus's back, Lissa was babbling to Lon'qu about what sort of ribbon or bauble she would give to her new steed.

"Hey," Tharja elbowed Elysa sharply. "This way." Elysa looked over at the soon-to-be falcon knight trainee once more, then followed Tharja down the hall of pens. Tharja came to a stop at the very end of the hall, and pointed her finger at the second-to-last pen. Elysa looked in.

The pegasus that inhabited this stall was huddled in the farthest corner, pawing at the ground. When it noticed Elysa and Tharja, it threw its head up and bared its teeth, flaring out its wings in an ornery fashion. Elysa noticed a pink ribbon affixed to the saddle. She swallowed painfully. _Sumia's pegasus. Daisy._

"Why did you take me here?" she asked quietly.

Tharja gave her a grin. "I've been poking around a fair bit myself, while you and the others are all about your preparations," she stated. "And I have a… suggestion for you. This pegasus – do you know where she came from?"

Elysa shook her head. "She… we found her on the road to Regna Ferox, injured… and she became Sumia's beast."

"Mm. Yes, the stable-hands told me all about these 'orphaned' pegasi," Tharja gestured around her. "But, in this case, this pegasus's most recent rider is not of consequence. What you _don't_ know is that this is a _Plegian_ pegasus – specifically, one that was bred for training with the Dark Fliers."

"Dark Fliers?" Elysa echoed.

"A Plegian pegasus division. Some of the elite mages are chosen to join the ranks of the wyvern lords; but wyverns must be imprinted from birth, their riders chosen at a very young age and raised with the beast. But most, if not all mages spend their youth in arcane training, they don't have the time of day to be pandering about with baby lizards. Yet, flying with the wyvern lords requires a degree of union between mount and rider that is impossible to attain without that lifetime of nurture. So the dark mages came up with a solution." Tharja smiled wryly. "There's a hex for everything, as we like to say… and while wyverns are dragon-kin, and much more resilient to magical duress, it is possible to _conform_ a pegasus to a rider through the use of the dark arts."

Elysa furrowed her brow. "That sounds awful."

Tharja laughed. "Not really. The hex creates a new life for the beast, it seems to forget its life beforehand. And it doesn't seem to be particularly painful. Now, my theory is that this particular one—" she gestured to the stall, "—somehow managed to _escape_ Plegia before the preparatory phase was complete. There's a certain degree of… conditioning that goes into preparing the pegasus to accept a rider."

"Sumia probably showed her the first kindness she had ever known," Elysa murmured.

"Right." Tharja opened the gate, and entered the pen. The pegasus huffed. "And so, while not exactly a bundle of sunshine, this beast is not trying to chew either of our heads off. Which will make my job easy."

Elysa's eyes widened, and she walked in after Tharja. "What do you intend to do? _You_ want to be a Dark Flier?"

Tharja stared. "Are you daft? I hate flying. _You're_ supposed to claim this pegasus."

"Me?!" Elysa held her hands up. "I don't want to, either!"

Tharja ran her fingers through the pegasus's mane. Daisy tossed her head, throwing the offending hand off.

"Ellaria always wanted to be a Flier," Tharja sighed. She looked at Elysa thoughtfully. "The battlefield will be a completely different place from the skies, Elysa. Lord Chrom will be on the ground, and I know that you're likely to stick by him like cement in the upcoming battles. At least give yourself this extra mobility."

"Tharja, I'll just be shot down by the first archer that comes along. I can ride a horse just fine, but a pegasus is a different story altogether!"

"That's the beauty of it," Tharja stuck her tongue out. "You attune to this pegasus, and it'll know your every whim, where you want to go and how you want to do it without you having to guide it. It'll be like flying on your own pair of wings."

Elysa hesitated. She recalled their first battles in Feroxi territory, when she'd begun to acknowledge the benefits of having airborne allies. The memories brought a bittersweet sting, intertwined with her initial jealousy and distaste for Sumia, followed by their friendship blossoming as she and Elysa fought side-by-side. Elysa looked at the pegasus, and saw the creature meet her eyes. It blinked at her. Elysa stepped forwards, reaching out her hand. The pegasus nudged its snout into her open palm, and she stroked its nose gently.

"I will take your lack of protest as begrudging agreement," Tharja muttered, and before Elysa could say anything else, a flow of dark magic whirled around them. Elysa gasped, and she suddenly felt cold.

 _The stables disappeared from around her. It was replaced by an open field of tall grass. Standing before her was a slender girl in rose-colored armor._

 _"Easy now, girl. I won't hurt you."_ _The girl reached a hand out to her, and smiled._

 _The scene changed. The earth flew past below them, and then the grass gave way to snow-covered lands. A fortress was visible in the distance. Elysa heard Sumia's voice again. "Oh, gods… I've got a bad feeling, girl. I hope Chrom hasn't gotten himself into trouble… I hope we're not too late."_

 _Another change. Regna Ferox. They circled the air, patrolling the open space that surrounded the stadium's platform. At its center, Marth and Chrom clashed._

 _Another change. They were back in Ylisstol. Sumia's laughter filled the air. She held a leather saddle in her lap, and was braiding the pink ribbon through the saddle-holes. "There you go," she smiled. "What do you think, Daisy?" A soft nicker of reply from the pegasus._

 _Another change. The skies were filled with fading sunlight. The air was filled with heavy sorrow. Ahead, a formation of pegasus knights – and a limp body, clad in rose-colored armor, draped across the back of one of the other knight's pegasus._

There was a rush of wind, and Elysa staggered, finding herself back in the stables. "What… what was that?" She breathed heavily.

Tharja cackled. "Oh, sorry," she said, waving her hand. "Did the beast's mind take you for a ride? Didn't know that part of the attunement went both ways."

Elysa looked over at the pegasus. It stood deathly still, eyes closed, the dark magic still swirling around its hooves. As Elysa watched, it opened its eyes, and from the tip of its snout to the last hair on its tail, the shining white coat phased into sleek ebony. Elysa stepped back in alarm.

"Delightful," Tharja patted Elysa's cheek. "Enjoy your new best friend." Without another word, Tharja exited the stall, swinging the gate shut behind her.

The pegasus chuffed. Elysa reached out again and touched the side of its head.

"Of course she named you something like 'Daisy…' that doesn't seem like the most apt name for you anymore, does it?" she laughed to herself. The pegasus nudged her roughly.

" _No. Daisy is a good name."_

Elysa started at the voice, unspoken, but somehow very clear. "Was that… your voice? In my head?" She blinked into the creature's wide brown eyes.

" _Yes_."

Elysa exhaled slowly, silently cursing Tharja for throwing her into this without giving her further time for consideration.

"I'm sorry, girl. This doesn't seem very fair to—" She stopped. "Wait a minute. You remember your name? Y-you… you remember..."

 _"_ _Sumia… the pink girl who helped me. She is someone important to you, yes?"_

"Yes… someone important. I'm so glad you didn't forget her." Fresh tears pricked at the corners of Elysa's eyes. She reached forwards and touched her forehead to the dark snout, holding the pegasus's head gently between her hands. "Daisy… I will honor her memory. And while I don't have her natural way with animals, I swear to do my best to be a good keeper to you."


	13. The Mad King

The Ylisseans marched on their highest guard. The air was crisp and brisk, and the sun was veiled behind a stratification of clouds. Despite the overcast skies, visibility was still favorable on the ground. The desert stretched on before them, and they could easily make out the dark shapes of the Plegian force that awaited.

Elysa's nerves were on end, but she kept her composure as best she could. Her body rocked back and forth with the movement of her black pegasus's steps. By her prerogative, she and the other pegasus knights walked their mounts as they approached the enemy force, for fear of a sudden flight of arrows from behind enemy lines. As they made their way across the barren wastes between Ferox and Plegia, Elysa went over the plan in her mind once more.

Three weeks had passed since the Ylisseans had fallen back to their country to regroup. Within that time, the Feroxi soldiers, rallying behind Flavia and Basilio, had little to no trouble holding the Plegian border for both Ylisse and Regna Ferox.

Their steady success had been made possible by Emmeryn. Word spread like wildfire across the continent of the late exalt's sacrifice, and she had become a folk hero of sorts to Feroxi soldiers, Ylisseans, and Plegians alike. The latter had been steadily throwing down arms in protest of the Mad King's persistent efforts towards war, in Emmeryn's name.

 _Everyone wanted peace,_ Elysa thought to herself, _but it took her to bring it to the surface._

Gangrel made to quell the deserters – "rebels," in his mind – by brute force, but by endeavoring to slay his troops into submission, he only drove more away. His army was all but in shambles, and Ylisse and Ferox were readying to strike the final blow.

That brought them to the present day: Gangrel had once again offered parley with Ylisse. Chrom would have had none of it, were it not for Lissa and Elysa, who ardently persuaded him to give the possibility of peace a chance.

" _Fine._ _By our will or by our blades," the prince had conceded, "we will have peace."_

But by the feeling in her gut, Elysa knew that Gangrel would not bend to any will but his own, which meant that the day could only end in one way.

Elysa looked over her shoulder. Lissa sat straight upright on her pegasus, a silver lance in her hand. The princess had proved herself an adept protégé to Cordelia. Lissa's grip on her weapon was delicate, but highly controlled; Lon'qu marched behind her, sullenly bearing her healing staff, his other hand occasionally ghosting over the hilt of his sword.

"Are you alright?" Chrom tapped on Elysa's leg. She rode to the prince's right – just behind Frederick, who headed the column with the vanguard. She reached down and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I'll be fine. Just a little nervous. But I have faith – we're all ready for this, I know it," Elysa said. "Are you sure you don't want to hop on? We've got a ways to go, you don't need to walk."

" _Yes, he does,"_ Daisy tossed her head and chuffed indignantly. Chrom looked at them curiously.

"She doesn't seem too keen on it," Chrom laughed, "and I'm alright. Walking will keep me warm for battle if things turn sour."

Elysa nodded. "I'm by your side, no matter what happens."

A dark shape caught her attention, descending from the sky and towards the Plegian line. _Is that… another Dark Flier?_

* * *

Her mount's dark grey wings buffeted the dry grass, disturbing ample eddies of sand as she landed and swung off of her saddle. She bowed slightly before the Plegian king.

"The enemy has taken the field, milord," she murmured, head barely bent. Her lip curled slightly in disgust. _Bowing to a man like him, barely worth my respect..._

Gangrel smiled, a sinister smile that hinted at a wild gleam in his eyes. "Excellent. It ends today, my dear."

"Indeed," the woman replied stoically, "one way or another…" She glanced back out at the approaching shapes of the Ylissean party. _I fancy that I'll run into_ her _today… We'll see what fate has in store._

"Aversa, there is a truth about this world that the Ylissean whelps will learn today… one which I hope your father taught you well."

She raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

The king cackled. "A man is either strong… or he is dead."

* * *

Soon, the Ylisseans pulled into view. The vanguard parted hesitantly, and Chrom and Gangrel moved to stand ahead of their forces, maintaining a generous distance from one another. Elysa rode to the front of the line, a few paces behind him. She immediately noted Gangrel had not brought an _escort_ – his men numbered enough to be considered a small army.

"Good day, my little princeling! Still dreaming of your squashed sister?" Gangrel leered at Chrom.

Sensing Elysa's tension, Daisy chuffed again, pawing at the ground. "Easy," Elysa murmured, running a hand down Daisy's ebony mane. Behind Gangrel, she caught sight of the other Dark Flier that she'd noticed earlier: a slender woman, white hair partially covered by a sleek hood. Her tanned skin was decorated with purple tattoos, and Elysa immediately recognized the Grimleal's symbols.

Chrom's voice brought her attention back to the prince and the Plegian king.

"Gangrel," Chrom responded, his voice low and controlled. "You claim to have brought me here today to seek out terms on which we may have peace."

Gangrel smirked. "Indeed, boy. But no 'seeking' is needed; my terms have not changed. The Fire Emblem – and Plegia will no longer grace Ylissean soil with the blood of its own soldiers."

To Elysa's left, she saw Frederick grit his teeth. Her own hands tightened on the Daisy's reins.

"You... you truly believe that we would surrender to you?" Chrom was incredulous. "Our soldiers and the Feroxi army have had your men scrambling back across the border for days now. And word has spread that what men survived are laying down their arms en masse."

"Perhaps _you_ are mistaken, then," Gangrel growled, "if you believed that I had summoned you here to offer my surrender? What kind of maggot do you take me for, that I'd bend the knee to the likes of you?"

"Enough!" Chrom raised his voice. His hand went to Falchion's hilt. "You truly are mad, then. No more talk. Today you die, and peace will return to Ylisse and Plegia."

"Pah!" Gangrel spat at the ground before Chrom's feet. "Such hypocrisy! You despise me, you wish to cut me down! You, like every other man – you don't know the first thing of _peace_!"

"I know more than you ever will," Chrom said gravely.

"More than me? More than ME?!" Gangrel's eyes widened, a wild look crossing his face, and he shrieked with laughter. "Kehehe... You ARE me! When life asks you a question, you answer with blood!"

"Perhaps your words bear a shard of truth," Chrom conceded, but his tone remained strong, "I will never be my sister. I will not – _can_ not – forgive men like you, men who sow nothing but evil. All I have left are Emmeryn's words, and her memory. Were I alone, I might be driven to madness… Or worse. But I'm not alone. My friends and brothers-in-arms stand behind me." A cry of assent went up from the Ylissean troops.

Gangrel sneered. "What a flowery harangue! Men are BEASTS! Nothing more! You have a clever tongue, little prince… but the truth is, mankind was conceived to _fight,_ to _kill_! We devour our prey! See now, the truth of the world!"

The king reached behind him, and he drew a jagged blade. Elysa's eyes widened, as she recognized a twin to her own sword.

"Chrom!" She shouted in warning, and Daisy immediately took to the air. Before the lightning could leave Gangrel's Levin Sword, she swept the prince off of the ground, falling back behind the vanguard, which closed before them. The bolt struck the place where Chrom had stood only moments ago, blackening the dry grass.

Chrom swung off of her saddle. "It seems escalation is inevitable," he gritted his teeth.

 _"Soldiers! FOR YLISSE!"_

At his command, the company surged forwards. Cordelia and Lissa, along with the other pegasus knights, took to the air. Charging below the pair, Stahl drove forwards with the cavalry, while Lon'qu kept steady pace, his swift bearing carrying him forwards to shadow Lissa.

Falchion came forth from its sheath with a smooth sound of steel. He turned to her. "Elysa," he said, meeting her eyes, "don't die." Without another word, the prince had darted off into the fray. Elysa felt her heart lurch.

And then her stomach followed, as Daisy abruptly took to the air. Elysa cried out in surprise. " _You intend to follow, do you not?"_ the pegasus's voice rang through her mind, a hint of dry teasing in her tone. _"Come. We will fight by your prince."_ Elysa nodded, bracing herself. Trusting in her steed, she let go of the reins. The pegasus flew with her, bearing her body weight and seamlessly, effortlessly keeping her aboard. With both her hands free, Elysa drew her sword and her tome.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a flurry of grey feathers filled her vision. Daisy lurched backwards, and Elysa's legs tightened around the mare's flanks. Without thinking twice, she fired a bolt of lightning at the attacker.

It struck the enemy pegasus below its dusky charcoal wings and it reeled backwards, spinning round in the air to reveal its rider: the woman Elysa had noticed earlier.

"Tch," the woman gritted her teeth, meeting Elysa's eyes. Dark magic swirled around her fingertips. "Not bad, Elysa..."

Elysa's eyes widened. "Who are you?" she demanded, preparing another spell. "How do you know my name?"

The woman narrowed her eyes. "You may call me Aversa," she said. Her voice was somehow both smooth and husky. "It seems you've certainly forgotten much of your past, if you don't recall your _dearest_ sister."

Elysa's heart stopped. "My… sister?"

Aversa smiled slowly, her lips curling. "Indeed, dear. And I believe that fate has more in store for us yet. I do not intend to fall to your magic this day – although I believe Gangrel shall be less fortunate…"

"I... I don't care who you are," Elysa said, forcedly. "You fight for Plegia… and I will cut you down!" She released the next shock of lighting. " _Elthunder!"_

Aversa raised her hand, and she barely caught the bolt in time; it swirled around in the flux of dark magic and fizzled away.

" _Enough_ ," Aversa said, "now is not the time for this. I needed to see your face with my own eyes – but for now, my dear, _adieu._ "

With that, the flier summoned another cloud of dark magic. It swept between them, and Daisy pulled back, away from the miasma. When it cleared, Aversa was gone, without a trace.

Elysa looked around wildly, rattled. The brief encounter had taken her off-guard. Fighting to shake it off, her eyes tracked the battlefield below.

The cavalry was doing a good job of maintaining pressure on the enemy lines, keeping the archers occupied. The pegasus brigade swept over the fray, and Elysa saw Cordelia clearing Plegians left and right with each pass. Chrom stood with his back to some of the other Shepherds – Kellam, the silent mountain, guarded his left, Vaike on his right, and Sully and Virion, mounted on her white horse, kept the other foes at bay. The archer's arrows flew true and deadly, sniping down enemies from afar. Elysa even caught a flurry of Tharja's black robes here and there between her other comrades, and eddies of her dark magic swirling through their enemies.

 _But... where is Lissa? And Frederick?_ Then she caught sight of an isolated pegasus, descending rapidly, deliberately.

"Take me down," Elysa said, and Daisy obeyed immediately. She darted over the clamor of steel, darting between polearms and lances, lightning sparking from Elysa's blade to strike down any enemy that challenged her. She cleared out some of the Plegian forces, and Lissa was revealed.

The princess had pulled up on the ground, caution thrown to the wind. Lon'qu was on his knees, struggling to rise before her. As Elysa watched, Lissa abruptly ripped a pair of arrows from his chest and shoulder, and raised her staff, mending the wounds immediately. Lon'qu coughed.

"Be more careful!" Lissa scolded. Lon'qu silently rose, using his blade to help himself up. He gave Lissa a long look, and murmured something under his breath that Elysa could not hear.

She caught sight of another volley of arrows. "Watch out!"

Frederick charged past, and the fletched shafts bounced harmlessly off of his warhorse's heavy armor. "Princess!" he bellowed, turning to Lissa. "You _must_ take back to the air! It is unsafe for you on the grou—"

Before the great knight could finish his sentence, Lon'qu darted under his horse. He swung his blade, cutting down the infantryman that had tried to creep up on Frederick. But as soon as he'd left Lissa's side, three more swordsmen and a lance knight had closed in on the princess. She turned, eyes wide, and her knuckles tightened around her staff – she reached for her lance, but it was out of her grasp, standing by her mount.

Elysa charged forwards, but Frederick was faster. He placed himself between the foes and his princess, cutting down two of the swordsmen in the process. But the lance knight stood his ground, his heavy armor deflecting Frederick's swing. Elysa's magic was just reaching the enemy when she saw his lance drive through a weak spot in Frederick's armor.

" _No!"_ Lissa screamed. She finally reached her own weapon. Deftly, the princess deflected a blow from the remaining swordsman, spearing him in the neck. The lance knight had staggered from the shock of Elysa's bolts, but he did not falter enough. Frederick clutched at the enemy's lance, which was protruding from his side, up into his chest. The enemy knight twisted the lance cruelly, and Frederick let out a choking cry, his broad frame shaking.

His warhorse reared, kicking out at the enemy knight with its hooves, and the Plegian finally staggered back, leaving his weapon where it stuck. The horse's iron shoes had left a large dent in the Plegian's chest-plate, but failed to bring him down. Elysa called upon all of the magic she could muster, and the knight was engulfed in red lightning. He shuddered violently, falling first to his knees, and then to the ground.

Elysa looked back towards Frederick. When the horse had bucked, the knight had tumbled from the saddle, the spear in his side snapping in half. A splintered end still stuck out of Frederick's armor, but the knight struggled to his feet. Lissa dropped her lance once more, beginning to raise her staff towards him. Another pair of Plegians charged towards her, and Elysa moved to protect the princess, Lon'qu darting in beside her. Lissa's concentration was broken.

A crack sounded through the air, unsettlingly familiar. Elysa whirled around, Daisy spinning on her hind legs, only to be knocked back by an explosion on the ground before them. Elysa tumbled from her saddle, rolling with her tome and sword. "Fly!" she shouted to Daisy, who tossed her head uncertainly at leaving her mistress, but obediently took to the sky, to safety, as Elysa willed her.

There was a blackened circle on the ground. Horror rooted her to the ground as the dust and smoke cleared, and Elysa saw Frederick's body, crumped amidst the scorched earth, traces of purple lightning dancing across his armor. The knight was motionless. Lissa's screamed and scrambled to her feet. Lon'qu, who had managed to push her out of the way of the blast, restrained the princess through her screams and struggles. "No! You mustn't!"

A cold feeling spread through Elysa's chest. She looked past Frederick's body, and saw Gangrel standing exactly where she knew he would be. The Plegian king held his Levin Sword high above his head, dark lightning still crackling along its edge. His shrill laugh rang above the clamor of the battle.

But then a battle-cry drowned him out. From the throngs of soldiers, Chrom burst forth, Falchion's tip singing through the air as he swung the blade wildly.

"GANGREL!" The prince's hollow rage rang through his shout, and Gangrel barely managed to parry Chrom's heavy blow. "You will PAY for this!"

Gangrel disengaged, pointing his blade at Chrom. Another bolt cracked out to the prince, weaker than the one that had caused the explosion, and Chrom only staggered back slightly, his face contorting with pain, but he maintained his footing. Gangrel had expended much of his strength cutting down Frederick, and Elysa guessed – _hoped_ – that it would take him a while to ready another blow of that caliber.

"YES!" Gangrel screeched, his teeth stretching in a half-snarl, half-grin. "Come, princeling; charge at me, with all your fury! I've sharpened my sword, just for you!" The king charged Chrom. All around them, the battle seemed to stand still.

Chrom raised his blade, but Elysa could see that his stance had been weakened by Gangrel's first blow. The edge of the Levin Sword struck Chrom's parry, and then slid down its length, digging into Chrom's arm.

"Rrgh!" Chrom gritted his teeth on his cry of pain. Gangrel shoved Chrom forwards, and the prince fell back, blood dripping down his upper arm. Gangrel lifted his blade again, and Elysa saw the magic begin to gather once more.

" _You will not touch him!"_ She lunged forwards, moving between Gangrel and Chrom. She lifted her own Levin Sword, and Gangrel's dark magic caught on its blade. Violet _arcthunder_ cracked through the air between them.

Elysa cried out, the force of the king's dark lightning surging through her chest. Her heart beat faster and harder, until she thought it would burst from her body. But as she struggled, staring into the dark flux, she felt her own magic surge with a primal power. Lifting her head, she fought back, and felt the force within her swell to engulf the dark magic, swallowing it like a great furnace consuming fuel for its fire. Sparks of her gold thunder began to erupt from her blade, driving back Gangrel's foul lightning. The clashing of the two swords filled the air with blinding light.

And then, suddenly, there was no longer any resistance to her offense. She saw Chrom, his wounded arm braced with his left hand, piercing Gangrel through the chest with Falchion.

Gangrel's sword fell to the dust, and silence filled the air, save for the king's gruesome choking. He reached a hand around Falchion's blade, clutching at it until his own blood ran through his fingers.

"F-fool of a prince..." his eyes twitched, and his arms shook around the blade. "Your people care not for you— You are... alone... As every man lives and dies: a-alone..." Gangrel fell to his knees. Elysa walked up to Chrom, standing above the dying Mad King.

"No. He's not alone." She raised her blade, and drove it into Gangrel's body, parallel to Falchion. The king shuddered once, patterns of red and violet lightning dancing over his frame, and then slumped over backwards, sliding off of the two swords.

The thud of Gangrel's body hitting the ground echoed through Elysa's ears for a long moment. As the arcane power slowly faded away, she felt the back of her right hand burning where the Mark of Grima faintly glowed. Then Chrom ran past her, and she came to. Bewildered, she saw him rushing to Lissa's side. The princess was kneeling by Frederick's body, her staff raised above her head. Healing light was steadily pouring from it, but the knight remained motionless, his eyes glassy and vacant. Elysa covered the back of her hand, and walked over slowly.

It seemed that Lissa had been at it for the duration of their battle with Gangrel. The falcon cleric's face was gaunt and drawn from the strain that the recovery magic was exerting on her body. Finally, Lon'qu reached up, pulling the staff from Lissa's grip. "Enough, princess… he's gone."

Lissa looked at him, despair etched across her face. A sob wracked her frail form, and she fell onto Lon'qu's chest, wailing. Lon'qu tensed for a moment, then took a deep breath, and wrapped his arms around her. Lissa clung to him.

Chrom knelt by Frederick's side, and gently closed the knight's eyes. "Oh, Frederick… what will we do without you?" Elysa closed her mouth wordlessly.

Stahl pulled up to them. "Sire!" He caught sight of Frederick and drew a sharp breath, but then shook himself, swallowing before he addressed the prince. "Lord Chrom, the remaining enemy forces are surrendering. What will you have us do?"

Chrom stood. He slid Falchion back into place at his hip. "Order our forces to cease fighting at once."

* * *

The afternoon carried on. The Plegian army laid down their arms, and Chrom allowed them to cross back to their border after sealing the armistice with the remaining Plegian leadership, which seemed heavily relieved to see the war ending. Elysa watched from his side as he shook hands with the representatives, and together, the Shepherds watched the tattered Plegian army retreat into the distance.

"We've won… but how can we celebrate, like this?" he murmured.

"Milord," Cordelia said quietly, "victory comes both bitter and sweet. It is a lesson we must all learn someday."

"Frederick died protecting Lissa," Elysa said. She saw a tear drop from Chrom's chin before he raised his hand to stop the others from falling after it. "He is as noble in death as he was in life… he died as he lived, for his love for you, and your sister, and House Ylisse."

"Aye," Sully said, swinging off of her horse. "We must hail his memory with honor and gratitude. He wouldn't want us moping around." The others slowly nodded in agreement.

Flavia stepped forwards. "Regna Ferox lost many good soldiers today as well. But after we see to our dead, it will be time to attend to the living, and rebuild."

"I'm sorry, Flavia," Chrom said. "The Feroxi sacrifice will not be forgotten. Ylisse will repay you in whatever way—"

Flavia raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then how about you hand over the Fire Emblem, and we'll call it even?" Basilio appeared and shoved her roughly. She laughed. "Now, now. Just a bit of Feroxi humor."

Basilio _hmph_ 'ed. "Don't worry after our finances, Chrom. Reparations will fall to Plegia, and they can well afford it."

"Oh, yes," Flavia grinned. "I've seen their treasury…"

"Pity the man who stands between Flavia and a full coffer," Basilio chuckled.

"We'll have to remember that when you come to Ylisstol," Elysa said, a smile working its way across her face. "Perhaps it's time to return there now." The Shepherds murmured their assent, and Chrom nodded.

"Yes, go on… prepare a ceremony to honor our dead." He glanced at his sister, whom Lon'qu had plopped back on her pegasus. The myrmidon sat behind her, holding the princess upright on her saddle. She sniffled quietly.

"Y-yeah…" she said. "I'll go on ahead. Come on, everyone… Sully's right. Frederick would want us to celebrate our hard-earned peace. Let's go home." She kicked her pegasus's flanks gently, and it took off. Lon'qu let out an uncharacteristic yelp as they took to the air.

"Hey— Wait— Let me off!"

But his voice diminished above them as Lissa winged her way to the front of the army, leading them back to Ylisstol. Kellam, Cordelia, Stahl, Vaike, Sully, and Virion moved to catch up to her.

Daisy made her entrance, landing next to Elysa with a whinny. She nudged at Elysa's shoulder. " _You're safe. Good. We're going back now?"_ Elysa nodded, running a hand down the pegasus's neck. She gathered the reins in her hand, and was about to swing herself up when she felt Chrom's hand on her arm.

"Hold on… just a moment."

Tharja, who had waited behind, rolled her eyes. "Come now," she said, "not this, again?" Elysa turned to her, frowning. The mage sighed. "Do whatever you need to, then. Let me sit on your feathery horse, I'm tired of standing…" Daisy chuffed in protest, but when Elysa handed Tharja her reins, the pegasus snorted, and allowed the mage to clamber aboard.

"Be nice," Elysa said, firmly holding the pegasus's snout before nudging her along. "Don't fly off."

"At least you're not keeping her out in the rain this time," Tharja muttered towards Chrom, before Daisy took off at a trot, bearing them both away after the rest of the Ylissean force.

Then they were alone on the battlefield. The dead had been collected, but the ground was still littered with arrows, fallen weapons, and rising plumes of smoke from the violent magic. Yet the wind swept in, carrying away the foul scents of war.

Chrom was still holding her arm. Elysa covered his hand with hers. "…Chrom? You look so serious." She looked with concern at his wound, but it had stopped bleeding.

In response, Chrom pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her. He pressed his forehead to hers, bending his head. "I… I think I owe you an apology, Elysa. This wasn't your war to fight."

She cupped his face with one hand. "I chose to fight it."

Chrom squeezed his eyes shut. "These past days… All I've been thinking about is stopping Gangrel, no matter the cost. Even my own life would not have been too high a price to pay."

Elysa's grip tightened. "Don't say that… It would have been for us— For me…"

Chrom looked up at her. She felt a wave of pain pulling at her at the thought of losing him, the void that would have opened in his wake.

He kissed her once, softly, then held her face tenderly.

"I'm sorry." Chrom sighed. "I— I know. And that's not true, what I said just now. I've been thinking a lot about, well… everything. And about you. I would have crumbled without you, Elysa. I don't think we could have done any of this without you by my side."

"Well, I made a promise," Elysa laughed quietly. "You should know by now… that I don't simply think of you as our leader. You... you're so much more than that... to me." Chrom searched her face. She looked at him earnestly, intensely. She remembered the night in Ferox. And all the nights since. And she summoned the strength to tell him.

But he spoke first. "Elysa, we met under unusual circumstances. Emm… Emmeryn always followed her heart, and it's time for me to follow mine."

"Chrom… I—"

"Elysa, I would be with you, always. I don't want to ever let you go... I'm in love with you."

Her heart quickened.

"I knew from the very day I found you in the field, when I first laid eyes on you, that fate had brought us together for a reason."

Elysa heard herself make a quiet noise, and realized she was crying. The wind swept her hair across her face, and she didn't move to brush it aside. _I'm afraid,_ she realized, and then met his eyes, her heart twisting.

"Chrom... I love you, I really do. But I'm – I'm Grimleal by birth, I have the Fell Dragon's blood in my veins, his dark magic in my soul. You… you're a son of Naga. I can't possibly—"

"Elysa, I don't care," his hands slipped from her face, lacing into her hair. "I've told you before, I don't care if you were born to some evil. You're not evil. You're so much – you're just so much more than that, so far from that, and..." He looked into her eyes, and into her heart. "Do you love me?"

"I just told you that I do."

Chrom released her. Confused, she wiped at her cheeks. He smiled, and laughed softly. "Then I'm not being selfish." The prince took her hands in his.

"Marry me, Elysa."

She stared into his sincere, intense sapphire eyes for a moment. And then she let herself be free; free of her past, free of her birth.

"Yes… yes, I will." She felt herself smile, and warmth spread through her heart. "But I can't believe you'd ask in a place like _this—_ "

Chrom cut her off, kissing her fiercely and deeply. She laughed, and reciprocated, throwing her arms around his shoulders, and his tears of joy fell on her cheeks. He held her close, his arms eventually falling to loop around her back.

"I'll need to ask for your patience though, for the near future. My first duty must be to heal the scars of war."

Elysa nodded. "And assume a new role for your people… I know. And that's all right. I'm sure I'll figure something out – I'm a tactician, remember?"

Chrom smiled, his forehead still resting on hers. "Elysa, you are the wind at my back, and the sword by my side. You and I... we're going to build a peaceful world together. We'll bring joy back to Ylisse, my love."

"My love."

* * *

 **AN: Chrom is a literal ball of cheese I'm sorry but I had to use his awful quote**

 **Housekeeping :o**

 **This is roughly the 3/5ths point of this story. Next chapter will be published in two versions, one which will be separate, and you will be able to find that through my userpage, published at the same time as when the next chapter goes up. Why the multiple versions? …..reasons.**

 **Also! I'm going to do a brief mini-series, taking place at the same time as the story up to this point. Paralogues, if you will. (like, where the hell are Nowi and Gregor in this chapter…? PARALOGUE 1!)**

 **UPDATED AN: You can find Chapter 14 as "Xenologue: Devotion" on my story list. The paralogues are labeled properly, and still WIP!**

 **Thanks so much for sticking by thus far :3**


	14. Devotion

**Author's Note(s)**

 _ **Xenologue: Devotion,**_ **the alternate, M-version of this chapter, is now posted as a standalone! It's not terribly different (and it's also not just a smut-fic, sorry to disappoint) but its definitely an extended cut :P _As in, 2000 words longer extended cut._**

 **Trying to keep plot consistency here, but** _ **where have Nowi and Gregor been the last couple chapters?**_ **And what's up with Lissa and Lon'qu? Really, see** _ **Paralogues**_ **(Ch. 1 and Ch. 2 take place between this chapter and Chapter 13)** **,** **the side-stories tied to this novelization, for the new little layers of icing on the cake.**

 **Liirin art!  
: ****imgur dot com/yjA8JBm**

* * *

"Good mooooooorning!" A sing-song voice roused Elysa from her sleep.

"Mmmmgh…." She frowned, refusing to open her eyes, and rolled onto her side, turning her back towards the door.

"Oh, for _Naga's sake!"_ Another voice. _Also too chipper for this early in the morning,_ Elysa thought. "Today is _not_ the day to sleep in late…!"

"Be nice, Nowi," a third person chided. Elysa groaned inwardly. Why was there an entourage at her door? And why wasn't Chrom chasing them away?

"Yeah," the first voice added, "she hasn't woken up on her own for _ages_ now. Chrom's always the one to get her up in the morning, y'know?"

"Gross!"

Brisk, impatient footsteps echoed down the hall, growing louder until they stopped at the door. "Have you STILL not managed to get her up?"

 _Oh, gods,_ Elysa's eyes flew open for this newcomer. Before she had a chance to sit up, there was a rush of cold air as the blankets were torn off of her. Elysa cried out, cowering under Tharja's scowl.

"M-morning…" Elysa grimaced. Tharja tossed the sheets aside, her frown intensifying. She heard a familiar sigh at the door, and looked over to see Cordelia in the entryway, Lissa and Nowi on either side of her. The pegasus knight was smiling apologetically.

Elysa's eyes continued to roam the room, her mind slowly awakening. _This isn't Chrom's room…_ She blinked a couple of times.

 _Ohhh…_ Realization dawned on her. "Oh!" She was suddenly awake, all traces of sleep fleeing from her mind.

"'Oh!'" Tharja mimicked her in an exaggerated tone. "Yes, indeed. Today's your big day. Get up, slugabed."

Elysa frowned. "Aren't you supposed to be nice to me today?"

"You're an awful bridesmaid," Nowi quipped.

"You're awful in general," Tharja gave the small girl a sour look. She huffed. "Fine. I'll try. …I'm leaving now to get ready."

"Yes, do." Cordelia ushered Tharja out the door.

"You better not show up looking like this is a funeral!" Nowi called after her. Elysa heard a somewhat-affirmative grunt from the hall.

She hauled herself off of the bed, her bare feet landing on the cold marble floor. She shivered and curled her toes.

 _Today's your big day._

The tactician blinked rapidly. "Oh, gods," she muttered apologetically. "How did I manage to sleep in?"

Lissa laughed. "Well, it's good that you slept well! Means you're not nervous — means you're not getting cold feet! Well, other than _literally,_ right now. But hurry up, before we make Nowi freeze you awake!"

"I'm awake!" Elysa protested. From somewhere in the room, Cordelia produced a pair of slippers, and handed them to her. Elysa slipped into them gratefully, then looked back at the manakete. "Nowi… not to be rude, but what are you doing here? Don't you have better things to do?"

Nowi pouted. "Yeah, well, Lissa brought me along to be an ice bucket, apparently. I wouldn't even fit in this tiny room in dragon form! And don't worry, lady-in-waiting isn't really my thing anyway." She looked at Lissa. "Can I go now?"

Lissa tutted. "Yes, yes. Hurry along."

"Hey! Don't talk down to me like that! I'm _much_ —"

"Older than me, yes, sure, whatever," Lissa ushered the manakete out the door. Elysa sighed gratefully, noting the immediate decrease in volume in the room.

Lissa stood with her hands on her hips in the hallway, presumably watching Nowi diminish. Then she clicked her fingers. "Okay! Tub!"

 _Tub…?_

A moment later, a pair of servants rushed in, bearing a washbasin filled with steaming, soapy bathwater, followed by a second pair, carrying another basin, which looked cooler and clearer.

"Um…?" Elysa crinkled her brow, disconcerted. "Here?"

"Yes, here!" Lissa folded her arms, and the male servants left the room hastily, closing the door behind them. Cordelia took the princess by her shoulders and turned her to face away, and Elysa sighed, obligingly slipping out of her nightgown.

Once she had lowered herself into the hot tub, Elysa cleared her throat awkwardly. "You know, I usually sit in the bath for hours and ponder life, but I don't think I can do that with the two of you standing there staring at me."

"Well, we could sit," Lissa offered, plopping herself down on an ottoman by the door.

"We could _go_ ," Cordelia corrected. "But we thought maybe you'd like someone to talk to, to keep the nerves at bay?"

Elysa swirled a lock of her hair around the bubbles. "Honestly," she confessed, "I don't know if I'm certain about how today is supposed to go. I don't know a thing about weddings to start with – other than my attendance of yours," she nodded at Cordelia, who smiled, tucking her hair out of her face. Her wedding ring shimmered from where it sat, nestled with the engagement ring on her fourth finger.

"For starters," Lissa chirped, "be _happy!_ I hope you're not taking my brother for granted."

"Of course not," Elysa scowled. "It's not that I'm _unhappy_ , for goodness' sake. It's just… a lot." She pressed her lips together. Lissa looked like she was about to chatter again, but Cordelia plopped a hand on Lissa's head, effectively silencing her.

Elysa stalled for a moment, lowering her chin into the tub and blowing a hesitant bubble.

She tipped her chin above the water line to speak. "We've gone over this plenty of times, how the day will proceed, what I'm supposed to do, where I'm supposed to be, but I'm sure both of you have seen _hundreds_ of ceremonies like this. Cordy, you were an excellent example to follow, but I wish I could… I don't know, watch it happen again? Take notes?"

"This isn't textbook stuff, Elysa," Cordelia said gently. "It's not like watching someone train, or taking notes on battle strategies… Listen. As far as you are aware, your life has been only the events of the last two years – the first of which you spent fighting a war across the country, and the latter approaching the aftermath of that war on the homeland political front. You can't approach your marriage like that."

"Cordelia, _duh,_ " Lissa groaned. "I think she knows that."

"I do know that," Elysa said slowly, "but I think… knowing it and being able to actually live it are different. She's right, but I haven't only known war and politics… I've forged so many meaningful relationships along the way. I'd like to think I don't approach afternoon tea like I do a battlefield… do I?" She looked up at them with a frown of worry

Lissa giggled. "Well, you can be SUPER critical of the tea itself sometimes," she winked. "If the servants don't make it _just_ right."

"Well, that's why _you_ make it now," Elysa muttered, sinking further into the tub. She fiddled with her engagement ring, which was set with a diamond cut to resemble her pendant.

"Yeah. And I learned from the best!" Lissa smiled fondly. "Maribelle would have loved to give you a good lecture on how to be a good bride."

Elysa looked up. Lissa's eyes glimmered slightly as she spoke of her late friend, but her countenance was steady. The last year had done a great deal to heal the scars of the war with Plegia. The princess's relentless spirit worked wonders for her people; her strength in their time of need, even though she herself had suffered huge personal loss, had been key to rekindling peace and happiness back in Ylisse.

"Anyway." Lissa plopped her hands into her lap, folded. "All you need to worry about today is not tripping down the aisle, and remembering your vows— wait, you did prepare those, right?"

"Uhm… yeah. I wrote them down somewhere. Check the dresser by my bed, maybe?"

Lissa scurried over, her heeled shoes clicking across the floor. Elysa dipped her head into the water, running her fingers through her hair. When she surfaced, she heard the bedside drawer clicking shut, and another clatter of heels as Lissa came up to the tub. Lissa held a piece of parchment in her hands.

"This thing's folded around thirty times," she stuck out her lip, turning the square wad over in her fingers. She started to unfold it, but Elysa reached up suddenly.

"N-no!" She gripped at the edges of the tub, wincing as the bathwater sloshed dangerously. "Don't read it!."

Cordelia laughed. "She's right, Lissa," she said with a wink. "Those words are for Chrom to hear first before the rest of us."

"Mm." Elysa nodded affirmatively, and then reached a hand out.

Lissa looked at her, wide-eyed. "Uhhhh…." She opened her delicate hands, and Elysa saw that they were empty.

"What did you do with – oh, gods!"

There was another splash as Elysa desperately dove into the tub after the dropped paper. She felt around at the bottom of the tub and closed her hand on it, and pulled it out of the water…

…but found herself with a quarter of the soggy mess in one hand, and the rest of it in the other.

Elysa groaned and dropped it back into the water. She sighed into the suds.

"Oh, you didn't need it anyway. You weren't planning to bring it up to the altar with you, right?"

Elysa raised her head and wiped suds out of her eyes. A piece of the disintegrating paper was stuck to her hair. Lissa tentatively plucked it off, wincing apologetically.

"This is… fine," Elysa breathed. "I'll figure it out. I'm good at figuring things out, right?" Without another word, she hopped into the rinsing tub, making sure to get a sprinkle of soap on Lissa as she did so.

* * *

"Sire, it's _fine,_ " Stahl said tentatively as Chrom yanked off his cravat for the ninth time.

"This is a mess," Chrom said hoarsely, fumbling with it yet again. "Either you people are saying kind things to humor me, or you lack a proper sense of formal style."

"That's just rude," Kellam's eyebrows turned down at the edges.

"Is he _still_ yelling at you?" a voice from the hall turned Chrom's head towards the door in time to see a familiar tanned face poke his head around the corner.

"VAIKE! I TOLD YOU TO GO AWAY!" He hollered. "I can't handle your quips this afternoon— w-woah, what happened to your hair?"

Vaike huffed and stepped fully into the doorframe. His shock of blonde hair, normally sticking up in every direction, had been carefully combed and slicked back. "Got a problem with my _proper sense of formal style?_ " He rolled his eyes. "You're just going green-eyed at the fact that I'm all ready and dressed before you. Or the fact that I look better both shirtless _and_ suited-up than y—"

Before Chrom could bellow out a rebuke, there was a yank on his throat.

"Gods, what—"

"O-oh, my apologies… Will this do, milord?" At some point, Kellam had snuck behind Chrom and fixed the cravat. Though the knight was a good foot-and-a-half taller than Chrom, he peered over Chrom's shoulder to glance sheepishly at him in the mirror.

Chrom raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That's actually… very well done, Kellam," he said appreciatively. The two ruffled layers sat atop one another loosely, but were somehow still nicely nestled and aligned.

Kellam smiled shyly. "Thank you, sire. Cherche's taught me a thing or two about tailoring and other styling-related things… Should we be on our way now? Sully's… scary when she's impatient."

"I'm what, now?"

On cue, a characteristically harsh voice barked from the doorway, and Kellam visibly jumped. Sully stood there, clad in a crimson dress with her hands on her hips. Virion stood just a ways behind her, carrying a silver-colored corset.

"My love, it's a _statement!_ Your divine figure need no further adornments to sway my soul, but—"

Sully yanked the corset from his hands. "Is that so? Then SHUT IT, before I tie you up in this and break all your ribs." She scowled. "No, _thank you._ Get outta here and go do our job."

"Without you?" Virion cried out, alarm rising in his voice.

"I'll be there in a moment!" She bellowed. Virion winced and scurried off.

Sully cleared her throat. "I can't believe you're still pandering around in here," she said, knotting her eyebrows at Chrom. "You've got half of Ylisse out there waiting on this thing and at this rate, you're gonna be late."

"I won't be late," Chrom said unconvincingly.

"Yeah? Well, that's the least you could do, since you've got me out there corralling them."

Chrom sighed. "I told you already, Sully, you don't need to—"

"Can it, Chrom," she sighed. "Look, Elysa and I get along, though we may not be the closest of friends; but I've known you since we were… what, seven? Six? This day is YOUR day, and it's gotta be just right. So I'm gonna stand at that door and keep your paparazzi at bay, until little ceremony's all done and you're ready to go address your people."

Sully eyed Vaike. "Gods, he didn't make _you_ a groomsman, did he?" She crinkled her nose.

Vaike rolled his eyes. "As if he could handle being outshone up there—"

"Right, good then," Sully grabbed him by the elbow. "You're comin' with me to patrol around."

* * *

"Elysa?" There was a quiet knock on the screen panel, which separated the two halves of the changing room. "Are you ready? It's almost time."

"Just a minute more, Cordelia," Elysa replied. She looked to her left, at the other red-haired woman. "I can't thank you enough, Cherche. You did a fantastic job with the dress, and the hair, and…"

Cherche laughed. "It was my honor, milady. You look beautiful."

Elysa looked back at the mirror. Her hair was done up in the same way it always was, but somehow, when Cherche did it, it looked a lot more prim and proper. _Maybe because she spent more than five hurried minutes in the morning fixing it up,_ Elysa thought. Her dress was pearl-white, almost iridescent across the bodice and skirt, and with sleeves and a train made of delicately embroidered chiffon and silk. And for the first time, Lissa had been allowed to lightly powder Elysa's face, and line and shade her eyes.

"What happens if I cry all of this off and it stains the dress..." She muttered.

"Is she complaining about the makeup again? You _won't!_ " Lissa yelled. "I have ears like a HAWK, you know! And if that's all you're doing in there, complaining, then—" The sound of heels strutting across the floor heralded her arrival moments before the princess shoved the screen aside. It wobbled dangerously as it folded up, but then obediently sat against the wall. "Oh _wow,_ Elysa…" Lissa's eyes widened.

Elysa ducked her head and nibbled the corner of her lip with a smile. "It all came together quite decently, didn't it?"

"Well, if you'd stop that bad habit of biting at your lip, I could've painted those, too," Lissa said dryly. But then she smiled, genuinely. "Buuuuut… I think you can get away without it."

"It's _eyes_ like a hawk, Lissa," Cordelia chided teasingly. " _Ears_ like a _bat._ "

"I'd rather be a hawk, though," Lissa said stubbornly. "Bats are stupid."

As the others burst out with laughter, the door flew open. "Are you _finally_ ready?" Tharja stood in the doorway, arms crossed. She wore a halter-necked, off-the-shoulder burgundy dress. It swept around her legs and feet, belted at the middle by a gold metallic band that matched the one she always wore on her brow.

"Red is… certainly an improvement over black, for a wedding," Cherche said, her brow furrowing slightly. "You don't match the other bridesmaids, though." She gestured to Lissa and Cordelia, who were dressed in the cobalt and white of House Ylisse.

"I'm the maid of honor now," Tharja declared. "And that means I can wear whatever the hell I want. Red's the color of prosperity, anyway. At least that's what the dynast clans of Valm say."

Tharja crossed the room to stand in front of Elysa. And she smiled, much to Elysa's alarm. But she quickly realized it wasn't Tharja's usual, slightly-sinister smile, when the dark mage dabbed at the corner of her eye and sighed. "Ellaria would be so proud to see what a spectacular woman you are."

"Oh," Elysa smiled, "don't, you'll make me tear up too."

"'Too?' You must be imagining things, it's just y—"

Elysa interrupted Tharja's quips by throwing her arms around her. Tharja stiffened. "Thank you so much for everything," Elysa whispered, and the other woman relaxed slightly. "Thank you for sharing my past with me, and giving me back my life. And maybe you don't want to hear sappy things like this, but you're the closest thing I have in this world to family."

Tharja returned the embrace. "Your past is my past, Elysa," she said quietly. "And… I suppose I'll have to be okay with that. But after today, House Ylisse will be your family, too." She stepped back then, and brushed a stray bit of Elysa's bangs out of her face. "I've got something for you." Reaching around, she unclipped something small and gleaming from her belt, and offered it to Elysa

She looked at it curiously. Upon closer inspection, it was a roundel of white petals. "Is it… some sort of flower?"

Tharja tipped her head slightly. "'Some sort.' Ellaria used to grow these white flowers when we were young. She loved them to death. During her time with the Grimleal, I'd bring some to her, and she'd weave little bracelets or flower crowns out of them and decorate your crib." Tharja looked down, running her hand lightly across the object. "I saved this one for you. She used to wear it in her hair – it's preserved and all that, with what one _might_ argue to be dark magic… but I thought you might want it for today."

Now Elysa really did have tears in her eyes. Tharja frowned and dabbed at them before she had a chance to do so herself. Elysa laughed. "T-thank you, Tharja… I think if there's one thing you taught me, those who practice the 'dark' arts aren't all that bad. I'll gladly wear it, hexed or not."

Tharja scowled. "What do you mean, only one thing I've taught — oh, nevermind..." She took Elysa by the shoulders and turned her around. Elysa stood still while Tharja fastened the little flower clip into her hair. "There you go – much nicer than any old veil. Those things always end up looking like a shroud."

"We'd better get a move on," Cordelia said. "Not to ruin your lovely moment, but we _are_ a little pinched on time."

"Right, of course," Elysa nodded. "Lead the way."

They made their way around the side hallways and rarely trodden corridors of the palace, and then up and around to the entrance to the cathedral. Elysa peeked over the parapets, saw the massive crowd that had gathered around the palace, and immediately ducked back down.

"Oh, gods," she took a deep breath. "H-how many are there _in there—_ " she pointed at the massive marble doors, "—already?"

"Ah, there she is!" Sully's white horse clattered up the stairs to the balcony. "All set? The people are _dying_ with anticipation." She jerked her head at the crowd below. "Oh, and the couple hundred in there, too. Maaaaybe closer to a thousand."

"A couple... hundred..." Elysa gulped. "That's not so bad, right? That's about... a small army. I can handle a small—"

" _Stop_ it, you," Lissa elbowed her sharply. "Remember what we talked about earlier?"

"Yes, yes, right, of course," Elysa muttered. Cordelia approached her and pressed a bunch of white lilies and irises into Elysa's hands, along with another for herself, Lissa, and Tharja.

"Bouquet," Cordelia said with a nod. "Are you ready? Got all the words and order of things down pat?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Elysa said, summoning a nervous smile.

"Then let's go," Tharja announced. "You two first," she said, and ushered Cordelia and Lissa in front of her before signaling the guards to open the doors.

As the doors swung smoothly open, music began pouring out of the cathedral. The royal orchestra fell from its grandiose pre-ceremonial music to a softer choir of strings, singing the traditional processional tune.

Cordelia straightened herself, and then made her way down the aisle. Lissa threw Elysa a reassuring wink before skipping forwards to catch up with Cordelia.

"Now?" Elysa whispered anxiously, hearing her heartbeat thudding in her ears as she peeked around the corner of the doors.

"Not yet," Tharja muttered back.

Cordelia reached the altar.

"Now?"

" _No, not yet._ "

Lissa reached the altar.

"N—?" Elysa closed her mouth on her own word as Lissa stepped to the side, taking her place next to Cordelia. As she moved out of the way, Elysa saw the congregation turn their heads eagerly towards the entrance. And she saw him standing at the altar, waiting for her.

"Yes, now," Tharja sighed, picking up her train.

Elysa felt the sea of eyes on her, but she kept her eyes fixed on Chrom, and her feet moved on their own. Her heels sank slightly into the carpet, and she walked carefully, slowly, restraining the urge to just sprint – and likely trip and fall – the rest of the way down. As she drew closer, Chrom's eyes widened in wonder, and his lips parted softly as he smiled. She felt her heart surge in her chest.

Then they were at the foot of the altar. Elysa looked up at Naga's sigil above them, a dragon coiled around the Brand.

Cordelia stepped up and offered a hand, helping Elysa up the couple of stairs. Tharja laid the train down behind her, letting it fall over the steps and a little onto the aisle. When Cordelia moved aside, Tharja stepped up next to her, and placed a brief kiss on Elysa's cheek, squeezing her hand with a lingering touch. Elysa pressed her lips together, trying to restrain her once-again-watery eyes as she smiled at Tharja. Cordelia pulled a small handkerchief out of her sleeve in preparation.

Elysa looked over at Chrom. He stared at her wordlessly, and she met his eyes – they weren't allowed to exchange any words just yet, but in that moment, they needed no words.

The ceremony began in an almost dream-state. Elysa's worries about forgetting parts proved to be unwarranted. She seemed to float through the initial prayers and blessings, sitting and standing where she was prompted, faintly hearing the words of affirmation and support from the others and the congregation, and then finally, she caught up to the present when the priest addressed Chrom and her directly.

"Chrom and Elysa. You stand here today on the threshold of a new beginning, a new life with one another. I invite you, Chrom, to offer your pledge of love to Elysa."

Elysa handed off her bouquet, and Chrom took both of her hands in his. She looked into his face, and her heart quickened, but when he smiled at her, she was drawn into his calm.

He cleared his throat.

"Elysa, you are the love of my life. It's been little over two years since we found you in the fields, but the time we've shared since then has been worth a more than just that finite period of time. I swear to love you unconditionally for the rest of our lives." His voice was clear and even. "Perhaps your past may be clouded in uncertainty, but I can promise you that no matter what the future holds, I will stand by your side. I couldn't be happier to pledge myself to you, my better half, on this day, and to spend the rest of my life with you."

Cordelia ducked in with the handkerchief for a moment.

The priest smiled. "And now, Elysa, I invite you to offer your vows to Chrom."

"Chrom—" she paused for a moment, flushing at the crack in her voice. He smiled at her reassuringly, and she continued. "Chrom, my life as it is began the day you found me. I had no memory and no past; but you gave me a future. Thank you for receiving every part of me with love, compassion, and understanding. We are the two halves of a greater whole than we ever could be separately. My life is yours, and ever will be, no matter what roads life leads us unto." Chrom smiled at her, and she saw tears in his eyes as well.

"I offer you now these," the priest continued, as he produced a small mahogany box, "the bands of the Exalt of Ylisse and his Queen. Take them now, for one another, as a symbol of your everlasting love.

Elysa and Chrom each gently plucked a ring from the box. She was surprised at its weight. Turning to one another, they spoke the traditional words, in unison:

"With this ring, I take you as my solemnly wedded spouse; to cherish and love, in sickness and health, times of war and times of peace, and until the end of time."

She took his hand first, slipping the band onto his left ring finger, and then he did the same for her. The crest of House Ylisse slipped neatly above the diamond in her engagement ring. Then they took each other's hands once more, exchanging a brief, a loving look before turning back to the priest.

He smiled from ear to ear, his old face creasing along its smile lines before he lifted his voice to the crowd. "Good people of Ylisse, I now pronounce this couple man and wife—

You may now kiss the bride."

The crowd erupted into cheers as Chrom pulled Elysa towards him, taking her face in his hands, and kissed her deeply. She threw her arms around his shoulders and responded likewise, laughing and crying, yet again. He wiped at her tears with his thumb, ignoring his own.

"I love you, Elysa," he whispered.

"And I love you," she replied, and kissed him once again. "Until the end of time."

* * *

 **Hope you liked it :) Don't forget to check out the first few chapters of** _ **Paralogues**_ **!**


	15. The Seacomers

**AN: Hello readers! Thanks so much for sticking with the story thus far!** **A quick note going forwards:**

 **In my opinion, the second half of** _ **Awakening**_ **, in terms of in-game writing, is presented in a form most fitting for gameplay as opposed to fluid storytelling. That being said, while major plot elements will be present, the way we're going to approach the Valmese war may seem a bit off from how** _ **Awakening**_ **presents it. We'll continue to see other added plot details and story divergences, which do get** _ **considerably**_ **darker in these later chapters – I will have content warnings further on, when things lean towards FF's M-rated standard levels of violence, etc.**

 **Just keeping you up-to-date on the writing process!**

 **Paralogue 3, a Kellam and Cherche story, fits in between this chapter and Chapter 14.**

 **Happy reading, and as always, don't forget to leave a review!**

* * *

 _A few years later._

* * *

"Mother?"

Elysa looked up from her book. She raised her eyebrows at the little girl that stood before her. "How come Papa is still 'Papa,' but now I get 'Mother?'" she teased, scrunching her nose and giving her daughter a smile.

The girl pouted. "Because I'm _bigger_ now. But if you reaaaally want, I can go back to 'Mama,'" she offered innocently. Elysa laughed, placing the book on the table and replacing it by scooping up the girl into her lap.

"You _are_ bigger now. Do you want me to call you Lucina now, instead of Luci?"

Lucina scrunched her nose, mirroring her mother. "No! Aunty Tharja calls me Lucina when she's angry. It's scary."

Elysa couldn't help but laugh at that, too. She tucked Lucina's hair, the same blue as her father's, behind her ear and adjusted her tiara. "Aunty Tharja's _always_ kind of angry, though," she said. "Anyways, love. What did you need?"

Lucina blinked, shaking her head slightly, and her hair fell over her eyes again. "I need a story," the girl declared. Elysa nodded obligingly.

"What shall it be about today?"

"Arch-knee-a!" Lucina giggled.

Elysa poked her daughter's nose. "Archanea," she corrected. "And you've heard all the stories of the first exalt and his friends already!" She smiled to herself at her daughter's enthusiasm.

Lucina swung her legs and shifted across Elysa's lap. "And someday _I'll_ be the exalt, right?" She poked at her left eye, where the Brand was clearly visible in her iris.

"Careful, dear," Elysa cautioned, gently taking Lucina's hand in her own. "That's a long, long time away. Don't be in such a hurry to grow up, okay?"

"But when will you teach me about magic?" Lucina squirmed up to her feet. "And when will Papa let me do swords?"

"Maybe soon, in a couple years," Elysa said, with a wink.

Lucina pouted. "A couple _years_? That's FOREVER away!"

"Good thing, too," a new voice entered the room. Elysa looked up to see Cordelia in the doorway to the library, her arms slightly folded. "We're all only worried about your safety, little princess. You mean the world to your parents, you know that?"

Lucina stuck out her lower lip at the pegasus captain.

Elysa stood up, putting her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "Good morning, Cordelia," she greeted her friend. "What brings you here? I hardly ever see you in these parts of the castle."

Cordelia shifted her weight. "Oh, I spent plenty of time in the library in the past," she murmured.

"Oh," Elysa echoed, pressing her lips together. _Sumia. I'd bet she always dragged Cordelia in here with her._ She cleared her throat. "Were you looking for us?"

"Yes," Cordelia nodded, straightening up and folding her hands behind her back. "Chrom wishes your audience in the grand hall. You have an important visitor, or so we've heard."

Lucina tugged on the edge of Elysa's long sleeves. "Can we go see who it is? Can I come? Please?"

Elysa stooped and scooped her little girl up in her arms and placed held her up on her hip. "Only because you asked nicely," she said, lightly bopping the tip of Lucina's nose. "Come, Cordelia, let's go."

As they made their way from the library to the main hall, the royal guard bowed their heads as the three passed. The sense of reverence that people had for their Queen was still occasionally unsettling, but with Ylisse's princess in her arms, Elysa felt at home in the palace halls — it was her home.

They entered the grand hall through one of the side hallways, and saw Chrom standing at the front of the hall, Lissa by his side, and Lon'qu by hers. The exalt's brow was furrowed, but the sight of his wife and daughter, his face lit up warmly.

"Lulu," he grinned, and Lucina wriggled from Elysa's arms to reach out to her father. Chrom kissed the top of her head, and then Elysa's cheek.

"Papa," Lucina responded, smiling sweetly at her father. "Am I allowed to stay to see the guests?" Elysa looked up at Chrom. He paused for a moment, then nodded.

"As long as you're good," he said. He looked up to Elysa. "Thank you for coming," he said. "The khans are here, and they seek an audience with me. And you, of course."

"Is something amiss in Ferox?" Elysa frowned, shifting Lucina to her other hip.

Chrom shook his head. "I don't know yet."

Elysa nibbled the corner of her lip. "Well, I suppose we'll have to find out." Chrom nodded.

"See them in," he called to the guards at the front tall doors.

Basilio and Flavia strode down the carpeted main aisle, dressed as always in full armor – which meant _not very much_ for Basilio. Between them, a woman dressed in swordsman's robes, her long ebony hair tied back with a white cloth, strode smoothly, her chin lifted slightly. She regarded the Ylissean knights and the tall marble arches of the palace warily .

"My friends," Chrom greeted them, moving up the walkway as well, "you are always most welcome here."

"Hmph," Basilio grunted. "You keep your 'welcome friends' waiting long enough." Flavia scowled at him and kicked his shin.

"That's my fault," Elysa apologized, nodding. "I wasn't prepared for guests today." She looked to the unfamiliar woman. "Are introductions in order? I don't believe we've met before."

The woman bowed deeply. "My lady," she said. Her voice had a strange, exotic accent. "Your Grace. I am honored to stand in the heart of your kingdom and in your presence. My name is Say'ri. I hail from the Chon'sin of Valm."

"Valm? Across the sea?" Elysa raised an eyebrow.

"Valentia!" Lucina chirped. "Right, papa?"

"Yes, love," Chrom said. "But hush, now."

"C'mere," Flavia grinned, opening her arms. "Say hello to your Auntie Flavia!" Lucina giggled, and Elysa let her climb across to the khan, who put the little girl on her shoulders.

With Lucina distracted, Elysa turned back to Say'ri. "You have a beautiful daughter," the foreigner murmured. "What a lovely gift from the Divine Dragon."

"Thank you," Elysa smiled. "But what brings you here?"

"Right," Say'ri turned back to Elysa and Chrom, nodding towards Lissa as well. "I am... a refugee. I stole across the sea in a trading ship to warn the Feroxi people of the happenings in Valm – theirs is the closest country to ours and with the most accessible ports."

"Slow down," Chrom said, "a refugee from whom? Or what?"

Say'ri tensed. But she was interrupted before she could speak.

"The Valmese," a voice spoke quietly from behind them. They all turned in surprise to see Lon'qu stepping slightly forwards, eyeing Say'ri carefully. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"Lon'qu?" Say'ri's eyes widened. "You're alive?"

Lissa scowled and stepped between them. "Hold up, lady," she said, folding her arms. She looked over her shoulder at Lon'qu. "You know each other?"

"Sort of," he rumbled. "I was born into the same village as she. Before I fled Chon'sin to Ferox."

"You disappeared so long ago," Say'ri said in awe, "and we all thought you dead. Especially after what happened to Ke'ri..."

"Don't speak that name," Lon'qu's voice hardened. He glanced at Lissa, who was shooting daggers at him expectantly. "I fled Chon'sin because a close friend of mine died protecting me. From Valmese invaders. I expect that they've driven even more of the clans out of their homelands, now?"

Say'ri nodded. "Aye," she said darkly. "The Valmese emperor, Walhart, has marched his army across the land. The people call him the Conqueror. One by one, he has taken the other clans and countries of our continent into his empire. Their fleet and cavalry may be upon Ferox's shores within days."

"Gods," Chrom clenched his jaw.

"It seems we'll have to fight for our peace once more," Elysa said quietly. She looked at Lucina, who was happily bouncing around on Flavia's shoulders as the woman jogged around in little circles a ways away, but still within earshot of the conversation. Their daughter was happily oblivious to the discussion at hand.

"What would you have us do?" Chrom turned to Elysa, and she stepped closer to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"We won't sit idly by while invaders storm our allies' shores. If Ferox is overwhelmed—"

Basilio grunted in protest. "Feroxi soldiers can handle a couple of sea dogs."

"But will it be merely a couple?" Elysa gave him a hard look, between the khan and Say'ri. "This Walhart has conquered an entire continent. His army must be massive. We'll mobilize the Ylissean army and send reinforcements to the Feroxi ports and shores... and then we will meet the enemy at sea."

"Hm," Basilio nodded. "Feroxi ships and the Ylissean fleet combined, we'll be able to match them on the waters. But if we wait for them to lay siege to our ports, the first thing they'll target will be our ships, so that they can cripple our potential for a counter-strike."

"Yes," Elysa said. "But we must act quickly – if what Say'ri says is true, they may already be on their way."

Chrom put his hand on Elysa's shoulder. "You know that I can't send men into battle to fight our wars without standing by them."

Elysa felt a knot forming in her stomach. "I know."

"But you have to stay," he urged. "Lucina needs her mother."

"She needs her father, too." She met his eyes. "We owe Regna Ferox a great debt, and for that, we will not let them fight this war alone. You and I will lead the army together. I won't have it any other way."

"Elysa..." Chrom frowned, but knew from her expression that she wouldn't budge.

"Together we can be more than we can alone, remember?" Elysa said softly. She took his hand in hers. "Lucina will be alright."

"Lissa and I lost our parents when we were young," Chrom said quietly, bending his head. "I don't want Lucina to have to grow up without her family around her."

Elysa took his hand in hers. "She won't. I promise."

"I'll be here," Lissa added, tugging on Chrom's cloak. "She's got the best aunt in the world to look after her. And an army of fraudulent aunts, too!"

"Hey!" Flavia barked. "I heard that!"

Chrom closed his eyes, but finally nodded. "Very well. Say'ri, Flavia, Basilio – we'll leave for Ferox tomorrow morning. Cordelia—" he looked to his knight-captain, "—begin alerting the troops, and the Shepherds."

Cordelia nodded. "Yes, my liege," she said in affirmation.

"We appreciate it, truly," Basilio nodded. "We'll send these foreigners scurrying back to their homelands with their tails between their legs."

* * *

Elysa spent the rest of the afternoon between the barracks and the palace, assisting Cordelia with getting the Ylissean army prepared, geared, and ready to march. She felt like she'd done the inventory for weapons and armor a hundred times over, while soldiers bustled about everywhere.

By the time she made it back to her family, it was late into the evening. She knocked lightly on the door to their main chambers, pressing her ear to the frame, listening to see if Chrom was there or Lucina was awake, or hopefully both. She frowned when there was no response.

The doorknob turned smoothly as always, welcoming her in lieu of her husband or daughter. Elysa saw that the inner door, which led to Lucina's room, was ajar, and light flickered through the frame. Pausing to hang her cloak and mantle on the wall-hooks, she headed towards it. As her footsteps echoed across the main bedroom, she heard Chrom's voice.

"Elysa? Is that you?"

Pushing the smaller door open a little further, she saw Chrom seated at the head of Lucina's bed, his back propped up against the delicately carved headboard. Lucina was nestled under his arm, resting her little head on his chest, and she looked like she'd been dozing off. She blinked her eyes open blearily, and caught sight of Elysa standing in the doorway.

"Mama?"

Elysa smiled, and crossed to the opposite side of the bed that Chrom sat on. Lucina scooted over a little to make room for her mother, and Elysa sat down and took Lucina's cheeks in her hands.

"Hello, love. I'm sorry I took so long to come in, it's been a busy day." She looked up apologetically at Chrom as well. He shook his head.

"No, it's alright, isn't it, Lulu?" Lucina bobbled her head in agreement with her father's words.

"Yes, Mama... Papa told me that you're going away for a while, and you were doing lots of important things for everyone today."

"That's right," Elysa smiled, her heart warming at Lucina's trustful forgiveness. "We might be gone for a little while. Is that okay? Can you wait for us right here?"

Lucina looked up at her mother with a sad expression, but she put her arms up for a hug. Elysa leaned over and embraced her daughter. "I will," Lucina said into Elysa's shoulder, "but you have to promise to do good things for lots of people, okay?"

Chrom laughed. "Your mother always does, unfailingly. And I always try, too."

"And you'll come back with new stories?" Lucina said hopefully.

"Lots of new stories," Elysa promised. "Maybe I'll even be able to bring back some books from Valm about their history. Then we'll have things to read about their history, too – like the stories of the One Kingdom of Valentia, and the folklore of Alm's dynasty..."

"Yes, yes!" Lucina said excitedly. "Can I have a short story about them right now?"

"You've already had your bedtime story," Chrom chided with a chuckle. "Don't try to trick your mother like that."

"You know I would always oblige you," Elysa said gently, running her fingers through Lucina's hair. She noted that Chrom had already brushed it. "But it's very late, Luci."

"Awwww," Lucina sighed, shuffling and sliding down onto her pillows. "Okay..." Chrom stood, and Elysa lifted the sheets to tuck Lucina in. "You're leaving really really early tomorrow, right?"

"Right," Chrom said remorsefully. He leaned over and planted a lingering kiss on his daughter's forehead. "So that'll have to last you a while, okay?" Lucina wrapped her arms around Chrom's neck, burying her face in his shoulder, then turned to Elysa to do the same. Elysa closed her eyes as she held her daughter, breathing in her scent deeply. Then she and Chrom snuffed out the bigger candles, leaving only Lucina's small bedside light.

"We love you very, very much," she said, peeking back at Lucina as she and Chrom left the room.

"I love you too," Lucina said, her voice a little muffled by the sheets. "Come home safely, okay? Promise?"

"Promise," Chrom said, giving her one last smile before closing the door.

A few minutes later, once Elysa had changed as well, she slipped under her own sheets, and Chrom pulled her close, mumbling tiredly. She sighed deeply, and closed her eyes. There was a brief rustling of sheets as Chrom propped himself up on his elbow.

"What's wrong?" he said, quietly but insistently. "I know that sigh. That's an _'everything's-fine'_ sigh, when something's up."

"Heh," Elysa laced her fingers with his hand that he had around her. "I... what if I'm making the wrong call here? What if we shouldn't be marching off to war like this? Am I... am I in the wrong, for pulling our family apart like this?"

"You're not pulling our family apart," Chrom said firmly. "You were right – I need you by my side out there."

"And the people need you," Elysa murmured.

"Lucina will be alright," Chrom continued. "She's a strong child, and she understands that her parents are two halves of a much greater whole."

"That I know I can be certain of. Please, let's make sure we keep our promises to her." Elysa turned her head, and Chrom kissed her softly.

"Of course. Everything will be alright. Get some sleep, my love... a long journey awaits."


	16. Echoes

"I don't like it."

Chrom sank his fingers into the pier's wooden railing, staring grimly out at the waters. The looming shapes of the skeletons of warships, smoldering and reeking of ash and burning flesh, littered the Feroxi harbor. Tatters of Ylissean, Feroxi, and Valmese sails alike drifted on the waves.

"You should be proud, Chrom," Flavia elbowed him, leaning against her bloodied waraxe. She wiped at the soot on her cheek with the back of her hand. "For your first encounter with Valmese forces, that was a stunning victory. You and Elysa have truly grown quite adept."

"Yes, but..." Chrom's frown deepened. "If what that general said was true, and this is only the first wave... then I'm not sure how long we could keep this up."

"That's no way to look at things right now," Elysa said, watching her pegasus circle the wreckage over the port, as Daisy looked for any survivors. "Flavia's right, we ought to celebrate the victory for what it was worth. Otherwise the lives of the soldiers we lost today are forfeit." She glanced at the she-khan, and Basilio beside her. "But at the same time, we no longer have a force large or equipped enough to sail to Valm in our current state. And we can't sit around waiting for them to come to us."

"The Valmese fight like dogs," Basilio growled. "Even that old man refused to lay down arms. A good general knows when he's beat, if you ask me..."

"But that's the thing," Elysa said grimly. "This 'Conqueror' has his men so faithful to the cause that they are readily willing to lay their lives down for it. Each of them is but one small piece in Walhart's plan."

Chrom sighed. "I can't believe we're at war over the Emblem again."

"Something tells me there's more to it than a lust for Ylisse's national treasure," Elysa murmured.

"It grants wishes, right?" Basilio folded his arms. "What great emperor _wouldn't_ want that kind of power?"

"It's also tied to the power of the Divine Dragons, of which Valm has _two_ ," Elysa said pointedly. Chrom looked at her in surprise.

"You've been reading up on Valmese folklore?

"What?" she chuckled. "You think I've not learned _anything_ sitting around in the library with Lucina these past years?"

"Your Grace, if I may," a soft voice spoke up hesitantly. "While it is true that Mila and Duma are the mother and father of Valm, there are many amongst the Chon'sin who have always worshipped the same dragon-god as Ylisse..."

They turned to face Say'ri as she spoke. She winced slightly at the attention suddenly upon her, but continued, "There is someone who may be able to offer some insight, if not help otherwise. An oracle: we call her the Voice of Naga. Some say that she is the daughter of the Divine Dragon herself."

"This 'Voice,' where would we find her?" Chrom asked.

"That is... the caveat, I'm afraid." Say'ri pressed her lips together, staring past them and into the horizon to the west. "When Walhart's forces invaded our lands, they took control of the Mila Tree, where the Voice resides in a shrine built amongst the highest branches. Cutting us off from our link to Naga only deepened the cracks that the Conqueror had made amongst our people."

"Then if we liberate the Voice, the people will rally around her, no?" Elysa said. The others looked at her in surprise.

"How exactly do you intend to accomplish that?" Basilio asked dryly. "As you just pointed out, we're not quite ready to be mounting our own invasion."

"It doesn't have to be an invasion," Elysa responded, still keeping her eyes on Say'ri. "The brunt of Walhart's army is mobilized right now. How many men would you reckon he has stationed around this Tree of yours?"

"No more than one general's unit, milady," Say'ri nodded. "Still a formidable force, enough that none of the people would dare approach uninvited..."

Elysa turned to Chrom. "The Shepherds have won against worse odds." He nodded slowly, his expression shifting back and forth from a frown of worry and a glimmer of curiosity at her brewing plan. "We take a single ship, a trading ship, and just a few of our best fighters – you, me, Stahl, Cordelia, Kellam, Cherche, Nowi, Gregor."

"And then what happens after we retake the Tree, assuming all goes well?" Chrom furrowed his brow. "We risk getting trapped in Valm."

"If what Say'ri says is true, Walhart's eye will not be turned there. He won't be expecting anyone to contest the shrine, nor will he be expecting consistent updates from their general..." Elysa gave the khans a sidelong glance. "In the meanwhile, we send word to Plegia for ships, to get the rest of our force on the way. They still owe us a great debt – I'm sure you'll be able to get them to comply."

"Asking Plegia for aid?" Basilio scowled.

"More like letting them know that we'll be borrowing their fleet," Flavia quipped. "It's less than ideal, but circumstances in general are far from ideal at the moment," she nodded. "We'll take care of things back here."

"Right," Elysa tipped her head. "And... it would be in the best interest of time if we didn't return to Ylisstol, and depart immediately." She felt a wave of sadness. "Flavia, please let Tharja know that we won't be back for a while longer. I don't want to risk sending a letter back with a messenger."

"Of course, Your Grace," Flavia smiled warmly, and clapped the other woman on the shoulder. "We'll keep an eye on your princess for you."

* * *

The roots of the Mila tree wrapped through the earth, creating natural furrows in the ground and enclosing small reservoirs of water, which glowed an ethereal azure. Each gnarled root was wide enough to accommodate two horses, side-by-side, while the pools were deep enough to drown a man.

Overhead, the distant canopy of the upper branches distilled the late afternoon sunlight into dappled patches on the ground. The subdued light was pierced by the harsh, jagged bolts of chained _arcthunder_ , dancing around the silhouettes of two Valmese falcon knights. The fallen mounts shuddered even in death, the tips of their white feathers charred black in many places.

"Wheeeee _eeeew_ , Elysa," Nowi whistled, hovering beside the mounted caster. Elysa's tome still glowed faintly with the magic. "You can be _scary_ sometimes, y'know that?"

Elysa laughed in response, turning to the small manakete hovering beside her. "Says you?" Many of the fallen Valmese were still encased in a layer of ice, plastered against the sides of the massive roots.

Nowi shrugged, as best a manakete in dragon form could shrug, "There's strong magic in this place... I can feel its power resonating with me." She landed neatly beside the two fallen pegasi, morphed back into her human shape nonchalantly, and skipped over the bodies to where Gregor stood.

"Aye, _ex_ cellent work, wee one!"

Elysa heard the mercenary's booming, hearty voice as Daisy crossed the battlefield over to Chrom and Say'ri, who were flanking an armored man, cowering on his knees close to the beginnings of the Mila Tree's trunk. The pegasus landed gracefully, trotting a few meters before pulling up to a halt, turning sideways to allow Elysa to swing off beside her allies.

The man on the ground was a Valmese general, evident by his highly decorated armour. His most distinguishing feature was an _exquisitely_ groomed moustache, which wrapped around his nose and crowned his upper lip in a voluminous, quaffed double-curl. Its bearer anxiously lifted a hand to twirl one whisker around his finger.

"M-m-m-my invincible moustache...!"

Chrom blinked. "...excuse me?"

"Blasted science," the general muttered, his glance darting around at his fallen soldiers, "playing me for a fool."

Say'ri leveled her katana with the general's neck, right where his plate armor stopped to bare his skin at the helm-line. "Speak plainly," she cautioned, "and tell us your name."

The man looked nervously at the blade, and then up at the woman wielding it. "C-C-Cervantes," he squeaked, and then his eyes widened. "Eh — wot?! It cannot be! Say'ri — my mortal enemy!" Seeing the lack of change in her expression, he tugged the end of his moustache nervously again. "B-but we have met in battle before, girl! Have you forgotten? You and I, locked in mortal—"

"If we had met before and truly fought, you would not be alive to speak with me today," she said, her voice quiet. "And the cowards who turn tail and flee from battle do not deserve to have their names remembered." The Chon'sin myrmidon swiftly drew her blade back, preparing to take the man's head, but Elysa's hand snapped up to catch her by the wrist before Say'ri could swing.

"He laid down his arms," she said firmly. "In Ylisse, we do not kill surrendered men in cold blood."

Say'ri's face flashed with fury. "In _Valm_ , they kill in cold blood," she said darkly. "We don't have time or means to keep prisoners. And if we let him go, he'll be straight to Walhart this very same day."

"We'll tie him up here for now," Chrom said, eyeing the general, who was now shaking hard enough for his armor to make an audible clatter. "And once we're done with our business up above, we can decide his fate."

Say'ri set her jaw, but pulled her arm from Elysa's grasp to sheathe her blade. "Let us be on our way, then." Casting one last dark glare at Cervantes, she began to lead them up the Tree.

* * *

The Voice sensed their arrival long before the Ylisseans made their way to the top of the tree. Wandering to the center of her grove, she stooped and dipped her head down to the circle of clear water, the same brilliant azure as those that pooled in the tangled roots below. Taking a slow drink, she let the water's restoring chill chase away the haze of sleep.

As she lifted herself upright, she closed her green eyes, letting the exposed sunlight warm her body. She began to glow with her own flash of brilliant light, and by the time the Ylisseans ascended the last steps to the tree's peak, she was a tall, slender woman, sitting cross-legged in front of the pool in a patch of flattened grass.

"Lady Tiki," Say'ri stooped to one knee as she greeted her.

Her smile was soft and warm as she shook her head, before the others could follow the dynast's lead. "Stand, my friend – there is no need for such formalities here." She rose to her own feet, and turning to the blue-haired man, she tipped her chin. "You are of the exalted bloodline, yes? ...Chrom is your name."

Chrom blinked. "That is correct, my lady."

"Then, do you possess the Fire Emblem?"

The woman by Chrom's side furrowed her brow, but said nothing. Tiki turned her green eyes towards the black and gold cloak, with its distinctive purple markings, but pressed to the matter at hand. "I know why you have come. The Fell Dragon's time is upon us — and the Fire Emblem is the key to his defeat. It ought to have been passed down through your family."

Chrom hesitated a moment, and then reached slowly under his cloak. "...Yes, I have it."

Say'ri's eyes widened. "You... you carry your country's greatest treasure with you, even to enemy lands?"

"I've tried reason," the black-cloaked woman muttered, "but apparently he didn't take it to heart, if he stole it out of the palace like that."

"I didn't _steal_ it, Elysa," he protested, "...it's not stealing if it belongs to me."

 _Elysa._ The name rang in Tiki's ears for a moment. As Chrom produced the Emblem, she felt herself drawn out of her thoughts, tugged insistently by its power. "Ah... a relief to see that it has not been lost to time."

"Nor carelessness."

"Hey...!"

Tiki's gaze roamed the shield-shaped artifact, heedless of their bickering. "...But where are the rest of the Gemstones?" The Ylisseans looked up at her. "I see that you have only Argent."

"Gem... gemstones, milady?" Chrom's face bore genuine confusion.

Tiki turned to him patiently. "There are five — Argent, Gules, Sable, Azure, and Vert. Each holds a portion of Naga's power. When mounted on the Emblem, they allow one to perform the Awakening."

"The rite by which the first exalt channeled the divine dragon's power." Elysa looked at the Emblem in wonder. Tiki felt a strange sensation in her chest, a nagging twinge of caution.

"Yes, the very same," she nodded. "And with the Fire Emblem's power, the exalt was able to defeat Grima. But this power was far too great for mankind, so the gemstones were scattered. The dynasts safeguarded Vert for generations, Argent bestowed to Ylisse, and Azure..." Tiki turned back to the pool of water, and lifted her hand. From its center, a single blue sphere, the same vivid color as the aqua it rose from, floated gently over and into her palm.

"Azure, I have kept here." She set the gemstone into one of the empty divots in the Emblem, and it clicked into place softly, before pulsing with divine light. Her visitors murmured in awe.

Say'ri cleared her throat. "Unfortunately, Vert was in the possession of my brother, Yen'fay... who now fights for Walhart."

Tiki brushed the swordswoman's shoulder with a comforting hand. "I had hoped that you would have the Gemstones when you arrived. Sable and Gules are no longer known to me, since the time of the great Schism."

"Regna Ferox was founded post-Schism," Elysa offered. "Perhaps Flavia and Basilio might know where to look."

"You must gather the rest of the gemstones, exalted one," Tiki stepped towards Chrom and pressed the Emblem back into his hands. "Seek them out, and perform the Awakening. Our world must be defended from the Fell Dragon at all costs."

He took it from her, and ran a finger along the new stone set on the bottom. "I'm sorry, milady, but I'm... confused. I'd thought that the first exalt sealed Grima's power away?"

"There are those who have sought to change that, ever since then," Tiki said gravely. She folded her hands against her chest. "Grima's life force grows strong now, and with it, the long shadows of despair."

"When will he return? Where?"

"I cannot know these things. But I feel his presence looming closer and closer – this task I set before you is no easy one, but as he of exalted blood, the burden falls to you."

Chrom's grip on the Emblem tightened. "I... I understand."

"And you don't have to do it alone," Elysa squeezed his arm lightly, before turning to Tiki. "I believe we owe you a great debt, milady."

Tiki stared into Elysa's eyes, at the nebula of emotion and entity that swam below the grey surface. "...You have it."

Elysa blinked in confusion. "P-pardon?"

"You have power... like mine."

Fear danced across Elysa's face, and Tiki shook her head quickly. "Forgive me – I am still dazed from my slumber. My words outpace my thoughts." She addressed the others, "I haven't the strength to join you in the fray, not yet. But I will call the people together, in prayer, for an end to this conflict."

"That is all we could ask of you, Lady Tiki," Say'ri bowed graciously. "We shall leave you to rest, for now."

"Mm. Very well. You will hear from me soon – may grace guide you."

As she watched them turn and depart the grove one-by-one, Tiki looked back to the pool that had guarded Azure. She walked across the tall grass and sat back down in the depression that she'd made in her dragon form, but maintained her human visage as she stared into the water.

"Mother, I would seek your counsel."

* * *

Elysa sat with her pegasus atop one of the higher roots of the Mila Tree. Below, her cohort was setting up camp for the evening. Cervantes, now their prisoner, was huddled miserably against a log, while Gregor and Nowi stooped beside him, likely giving him grief.

Daisy huddled tighter, pulling her wing around Elysa against the approaching evening's chill. Elysa absently stroked the side of the pegasus's neck, trailing her fingers through the dark mane. A chuff called her attention to the approaching rider.

"Elysa?" Cordelia swooped up, and hovered close by. "Are you alright? Chrom sent me up to check on you."

Daisy tossed her head in greeting to the white pegasus. "I'm... I'm fine, Cordy," Elysa said, non-assuringly. Cordelia gave her a hard look. She pulled her mount up neatly beside Elysa's, and swung herself off the saddle, kneeling in front of Elysa. She took Elysa's silk-gloved hand in both of hers.

"Grima on your mind?"

Elysa laughed at Cordelia's directness. But before she could respond, the cry of a wyvern below pulled their attention.

"Incoming!" Cherche shouted, tugging on Minerva's reins. Elysa and Cordelia were up and flying down in a second.

Elysa saw the lone airborne rider approaching from the east. "Just the one?"

"As far as we can tell; yes," Cherche patted her wyvern's neck. "Not _that_ big of a deal, Minervy."

"All the same, on your guard," Elysa called out, and watched Stahl, Cordelia, and Kellam pull their respective weapons. She felt movement by her side, and Chrom was there, right hand on Falchion's hilt and left on her shoulder.

Cordelia squinted as the rider drew nearer. "Dark flier – Plegian."

A prick of recognition tickled the back of Elysa's mind as the woman landed and dismounted, her mount's dusky charcoal wings flaring slightly. She pulled her hood off and revealed her white hair and tattooed face.

"...Aversa."

The Plegian smiled, her teeth gleaming white against her dark and painted skin. "You remember me _this_ time, dearest; I'm pleased."

"You know her?" Chrom tightened his grip on Elysa's shoulder, but kept his eyes warily on the visitor.

"We met on the field of battle," Elysa said stoically, "the day that Gangrel fell."

Aversa tutted. "So _cold_ , sweet sister," she stepped forwards and reached to touch Elysa's cheek. Chrom stepped between them and snatched her hand out of the air.

"Don't touch her – wait... _sister?_ " He looked over his shoulder to his wife for an explanation.

"That's... that's what she claimed," Elysa's distress began to show. "I don't remember having a sister, but I don't remember _not_ having—"

"Enough," Chrom's face softened, and he nodded briefly. He turned back to Aversa, and released her wrist roughly, pulling Elysa towards him and away from the other woman. "...mind yourself. What business do you have?"

Aversa smiled again, as if amused. "That's no way to treat the bearer of good news," she pulled a scroll case from her belt. Chrom took it from her, unscrewing the top. Elysa pulled out the parchment inside, noting Plegia's royal insignia on the wax seal, and popped it with her thumbnail.

"It seems we'll be getting the ships and soldiers that we requested," she murmured as she read. At the bottom of the page, she froze. The hand that held the letter crumpled the parchment slightly, her grip tightening as she read the sign-off.

 ** _We look forwards to a prolific relationship._**

 **— _King Validar_**


	17. Kinship

"It... it seems Plegia has finally decided on a new king," Elysa's voice trembled slightly. Chrom reached out a hand to hold her forearm.

"Something's wrong?" He queried, but it was nearly a statement. He knew her well enough to see when something was more than just slightly off. And with the color drained from her face, Chrom began to feel a creeping sense of dread.

In response, Elysa looked up to Aversa. Chrom saw her grey eyes turn steel as she stared the other woman down. "You say you're my sister; that means you're Plegia's princess. And Validar sent you out here _alone_ to parley with us?"

Aversa shrugged, with a scowl. "You were always Daddy's favorite girl, Elysa. He doesn't care too much for me... besides, I'm not exactly the _princess_ type." She leaned back against her dark pegasus, her very-nearly-exposed bosom taking front and center.

Chrom stared at a pebble on the ground, taking all of this in. "Your... your father?" He looked up at his wife. "The Grimleal?"

She finally turned back to him. "...Yes, it would seem so. Unless 'Validar' is a common name and it's some freak coincidence. But this means—"

"Plegia is now a country under Grima's covenant," Aversa finished. "But fret not, dear exalt. We bear you no ill will – we can agree to disagree as far as religion goes, no?" She grinned her sinister smile. "Besides... you need us. Even the dynasts fight for Walhart. You require all the troops you can muster." Her eyes slid meaningfully over to Say'ri, and the swordswoman gritted her teeth.

"...Loathe as I am to trust your Grimleal, she speaks the truth, Chrom."

Elysa drew a slow breath, through her nose – the way she calmed herself. Chrom squeezed her wrist slightly. "She's right," Elysa added. "They're both right. We have little options but to trust Plegia here. And if Validar meant us ill will, he wouldn't have sent Aversa alone."

Aversa nodded. "Smart girl. And I promise not to slit your throats while you sleep... you have my word." She laughed. Her laughter hung in the air, turning stale in the Ylisseans' silence, while their eight pairs of eyes stared at her.

"...Finish setting up camp," Chrom ordered, breaking the tension of the moment. "We'll host a guest for tonight."

* * *

They hadn't brought much in terms of camping supplies beyond what Minerva could carry. Kellam and Stahl did most of the heavy lifting, while Cordelia and Elysa got the pegasi settled and lashed to a suitable branch. Cherche tended to her wyvern separately, while Chrom occupied Aversa.

Elysa eyed Aversa's dusky pegasus as she led it next to Daisy. Her own pegasus made a rumbling sound of protest. Aversa's winged horse had eerily blue, highly intelligent-looking eyes, which surveyed her carefully as she slowly tied the rope attached to its bridle beside Daisy's place. The pegasus looked away, and Elysa frowned.

Her attention slid past it towards Aversa, who was sliding closer and closer to Elysa's husband on the log they'd been sitting on – and Chrom was scooting faster and farther away, looking uncomfortable. Elysa looked to Cordelia.

"You'll get them fed and watered?"

The knight-captain nodded. "Of course. I imagine you want to deal with... that." She tips her head towards Aversa and Chrom with a grimace.

"...Mmm."

Chrom looked up in relief as Elysa approached. "Hello, love. Everything prepped for the night?"

She nodded. "I believe so. Cherche's planning on preparing dinner once Minerva is all settled, it looks like Kellam and Stahl have finished with the tents, and Cordelia is finishing up with the pegasi."

"Good to hear."

Aversa stood, folding her arms across her chest. "Competent – I _like_ you, Elysa. Come, we ought to take a walk while dinner cooks."

Elysa felt her blade swinging at her side, noting Aversa's lack of tomes or other weapons, and glanced at Chrom. "...Alright. Just to get you away from him for a bit."

Aversa laughed. "We were just starting to get along, too. But don't worry, dear, your husband is too _pure_ for the likes of me. I prefer them... a little more on the bad side."

She placed an unwelcome hand on Elysa's back, and guided her away from the camp, pausing to wiggle her fingers at Chrom as they left. Elysa glanced over her shoulder uncertainly, and saw her hesitation reflected in Chrom's face. She tapped the tome at her waist meaningfully.

"You don't actually think I'm foolish enough to try anything, do you?" Aversa asked dryly. "Out here, on my own? Please. I'm not the martyr type – dying just to take you out isn't my style."

"That's very comforting," Elysa muttered. "...Tell me. Why did Validar – why did our father send you, instead of any other messenger?"

"I volunteered, of course," Aversa said, her voice silken. "We're sisters, you and I—"

"Yes, you keep mentioning that.

The dark mage scowled. "Well. Half-sisters, if we're being dicey. If even that. Validar took me in as a child, but I don't remember much about my true parentage."

"Hm."

"Don't you care to know more about the man who fathered you?" Aversa pressed.

"No, not particularly," Elysa lied. "I don't want anything to do with the Grimleal." _That much, at least, is the truth._

"Grimleal or not, family is family," Aversa sighed. She twitched her lips knowingly. "And we're not so bad."

Elysa paused in her steps, her eyes sliding to stare sideways at Aversa. "Except you're trying to resurrect the Fell Dragon, as far as I know."

"What we're _trying_ to do is ally with you so that you can win this war," she said pointedly. "And you seem quite preoccupied with imagining hidden motives."

"Do you really blame me?" Elysa laughed. "Can you honestly believe that I ought to trust you here?"

Avera regarded her with a thoughtful look. Eventually, she broke into a smile. "...No. I have more respect for you than you think, dear. But a woman can only try her best."

Elysa was taken aback by her honesty. "...Good. You're not a fool, then."

"Heh," Aversa chuckled, her smile traveling to her eyes. "I'll take that as the best compliment I'll be getting out of you anytime soon. But you'll warm up to me eventually... I get the feeling we have more in common than you might think."

"Mi'ladies!" Cherche's voice floated over towards them, echoed across the roots and pools of water. "Dinner's almost ready."

Aversa looped her arm around Elysa's before she could protest. "Come, my dear – let's share in a nice meal, for a start. Your wyvern knight seems like the culinarily-capable sort."

"She is," Elysa nodded, and found herself offering a small smile, in spite of herself.

Once the Shepherds and Aversa were all gathered around the cooking-fire that Cherche had built, she began to dole out stew in steaming ladles to each of them. The warm, savory broth was easy to drink, but hearty on the battle-weary stomach.

"Say'ri," Chrom cleared his throat quietly, amidst the mealtime conversations. She looked up at the sound of her name. "That mountain, to the south – I've seen it smoking for hours, but I don't see any trees on it...?"

"Where—" Say'ri craned her neck to see where Chrom was pointing, and a smile spread across her face. "That is no forest fire, Your Grace, it is a volcano. Have you never seen one?"

"We don't have any in Ylisse," Elysa turned to observe it as well.

"That one is called the Demons' Ingle," Say'ri continued. "It is known and feared by all people of Valm. Few dare to even draw near, lest they anger the wicked fire gods."

"Few, indeed," Aversa chimed in. "But some nonetheless. We have scouts and spies in the area – there is an elite force of dynasts under the service of a general Yen'fay, located at the—"

"Yen'fay?" Say'ri's bowl slipped between her fingers, spilling the last of her stew across the ground. "I– I'm so terribly sorry. Allow me to..." She stooped hurriedly to collect the bowl.

Elysa rose from her seat as well, fetching Say'ri's spoon for her. She squeezed Say'ri's hand as she passed the utensil over. "...That's your brother, isn't it?"

Say'ri's long black hair fell over half her face like a veil. "Yes," she said, her voice hoarse. "He betrayed us... our people were in rebellion against the Conqueror, but he turned against our cause... after our mother and father were killed, he stole the gemstone, fled to Walhart..." She closed her eyes, pressing her trembling fingers against her lips. After a moment, she clenched her fist, and stood, looking to Elysa.

"...If we are planning our next move, while the Ylissean and Feroxi forces arrive – if we launch an attack on Yen'fay's elite force, he will not be expecting it. Taking out one of Walhart's best generals ought to give us some advantage against the rest of Valm's main army."

Elysa looked at her in shock at the change in her demeanor. "You intend to do battle with your brother, then?"

Say'ri closed her eyes, a grim expression on her lips. "He is the enemy now. He is no longer my brother. "

"Then we ought to strike swiftly," Aversa tipped her chin up. "If you wish to keep the element of surprise. The Valmese aren't expecting us to be here, but when Plegian ships land on these shores, wartime guard will be much more difficult to deal with."

Say'ri turned sharply, to Chrom. "Then I ask that we march on the morning, sire."

"Wait... slow down," Elysa said, hesitantly. "We can't just march into this volcano without knowing anything about Yen'fay's stronghold, or his men."

With surprising speed and strength, Say'ri moved across the camp circle, dragging Cervantes off of his seat next to Gregor. She pulled him roughly to his feet. "That's where he comes in."

"Me?" Cervantes squeaked.

"If you value your whiskers," a smile ghosted across Say'ri's face, "you'll tell us everything you know about the Demon's Ingle."

* * *

They cut through the fortress through a side tunnel that Cervantes revealed to them, blindsiding the men inside. It didn't take long for the Ylissean force to reach Yen'fay, cornering him in the heart of the fortress.

The heat of the volcano pulsed around them, like a titanic heartbeat. Chrom and Elysa stood silently at the head of their party. They allowed Say'ri to move past them, standing between the Ylisseans and her brother.

She drew her curved blade. "Brother... we are beyond the point of asking questions. I will say it plainly: I cannot forgive you, nor can I let you live."

Yen'fay set his hand over the hilt of his sword. Elysa thought she saw him smile slightly. The myrmidon was the polar opposite of his sister – where she was small and lithe, he was tall and built, his black armor accentuating his imposing frame. "I've asked you for nothing, sister. Least of all your forgiveness."

Say'ri gritted her teeth. "But you will have my justice, like it or no! For standing in in silence while everyone around you suffered; while villages were razed and fields burned, when Father and Mother were murdered – you said nothing! Nothing, before you ran to the arms of the one man responsible for all of it. That silence was deafening. _Maddening_." Yen'fay watched and listened, statue-like. Say'ri's fury only grew. "Even now... have you nothing to say?!"

Her brother looked down at the ground, lined with streaks of faintly glowing rock, heated by the volcano. He shook his head in silence.

" _Damn you,_ " Say'ri hissed. "Then I will make your sword answer for you. Draw your blade, let it sing your final words!"

Yen'fay drew and parried her dash in a single motion, the _shiiing!_ of his blade leaving its sheath cut short by the ringing of steel on steel. Cordelia lifted her lance slightly, but Elysa lifted her hand. "No. This is not our battle to fight."

The Chon'sin fought in a flurry of blade and body. Each moved with the speed and fluidity of an expert swordsman, the whistling sound of their katana cutting through the air filling in the moments of silence between clashing steel.

Say'ri hissed as Yen'fay's sword slashed at her cheek, returning with a lunging stab. His parry came a second late, allowing the tip of her sword to dig into his shoulder. He let out a grunt of pain, swinging his blade in a disengage. Say'ri followed up with swing after swing, her blade barely visible as it cut through the air, except when it landed on her brother's parries.

There was a sudden, sickening crunch as she found a pause in his defense, her blade cutting into the gap in his armor at his neck and slicing down his chest through his collarbone. Blood pooled around his neck, and Yen'fay dropped his sword, falling to his knees.

He was smiling again. "Say'ri... you have grown so strong."

She stood before his shuddering frame, breathing heavily. "Do... do you mock me? I have seen your best swordplay; that was not it. You went easy — why?"

"What I could not tell you in life... I hope to say with my death. You have found... strong comrades." Yen'fay's dark eyes began to take on a glassy sheen, as he looked past Say'ri to Chrom and Elysa. "I no longer need to fear for you... I can go in peace."

"Yen'fay...?!" Say'ri dropped her sword as well. It fell with a clatter to the volcanic stone, rolling slightly until its blade touched Yen'fay's, his blood dripping from her sword onto his. "What do you mean?" Say'ri reached towards him, but he toppled to the ground.

She dropped to her knees, shaking his shoulder violently. "Yen'fay? Why?! No...! Do not leave me with more silence! Yen'fay... b-brother..." She clenched her shaking hands in her lap, as she looked back up to her comrades. "What have I done?"

A shrill laughter filled the air. Alarmed, Chrom pulled Falchion from its sheath, putting his back to Elysa's. "Who's there?" A lightning spell crackled at Elysa's fingertips and across her sword.

Across from them, a figure shimmered into view, standing over Yen'fay and Say'ri. He was a short, round man, with fat lips and a wrinkled, ugly face.

"Excellus," Say'ri's lip curled. "What are you doing here?"

The man cackled again. "I'm not _really_ here, blade princess. How _stupid_ do you think I am? I wanted to watch, is all, as you butchered your poor brother. Ah, what a death! Did you see the grief, etched on his face? What an accomplished actor he had become. But _that_ was all too real... ehehe."

"What do you know of my brother, you loathsome toad?" Say'ri retrieved her sword and leveled it towards Excellus. The mirage of the man flickered briefly in response.

"More than you, _princess,_ " he taunted. "Watch your tongue... I am honoring his sacrifice by not killing you and your companions here, but even I have my limits."

Say'ri's grip on her sword tightened, and even though her back was turned, Elysa could see her tension rising. "What do you mean, 'sacrifice?'"

"Oopsie," Excellus put a hand to his mouth and smiled. "Did I spill the beans? I promised your dear brother I'd never tell..."

"Answer me, or die!"

"As if you could harm me," Excellus laughed. "And did Yen'fay not groan out the truth while you cut him to bloody pieces? I suppose not. He always was so quiet. And proud... honorable, I think they call it? Yet he swallowed his pride and cast aside his honor, all to protect his beloved kin. That's right, little princess. He did it to save _you_."

"Lies!" Say'ri shook her head violently. "You're lying..."

"No, I'm telling the truth, which I admit is a rare treat, so you best shut up and enjoy it." Excellus scowled. "Before you met these Ylisseans, I could have had your head with a word. In Chon'sin, at Valm Harbor... Did you really think yourself so elusive? You were my leverage for Yen'fay. Unwitting and unbound, but a hostage all the same. I let you live; he fought for us. That was our deal. And he kept his end, right to HIS end! Heehee..."

Say'ri's eyes moved to her blade, looking at her brother's blood. She dropped to her knees again. "No... no..."

"Phew." Excellus fanned his face dramatically. "I don't know about you, but I do feel much better having gotten that off my chest. Maybe I shall give truth telling a try more often... but for now, ta-ta!" In another shimmer of light, he vanished as soon as he'd appeared.

"This can't be..." Say'ri's voice cracked. "Yen'fay... I am wretched! I have repaid your kindess with – with death," she began to sob, and crawled over to her brother's body.

"Say'ri..." Chrom, sheathing Falchion, moved slowly to her side and stooped beside her.

"I'm so sorry," Elysa murmured, placing a hand on her shoulder as she approached.

"Why did he not speak?" Say'ri whispered, running the back of her hand across Yen'fay's cheek. "If he had told me — I could have... I could have joined the ruse. I... Oh, Yen'fay... please – please forgive me..." Her head fell to his shoulder, while her frame began to shake as she cried.

"You did all you could," Elysa said softly, rubbing her hand softly across Say'ri's back, the way she did for Lucina when her daughter was upset. "Your brother knew that... and you are blameless in this. The empire, and that Excellus man, are at fault here."

"And they will be made to answer for it, I promise you," Chrom vowed.

Say'ri looked up, wiping away at her tears. "Sir Chrom... my lady... pray, forgive me. You have done so much for this land, and I have so little to offer in return. Even the Gemstone is not here."

"No," Elysa shook her head, smiling warmly. "It is our honor to fight by your side. Your brother would be proud — _we_ are the Resistance now, and he would want us to fight on."

"And fight we will," Chrom nodded, "until this land is free."

Say'ri drew a deep breath. "Aye... thank you. I owe my life to you all, and my brother... In his name, I swear to you, that I will make the most of it."

* * *

That night, the Plegian ships arrived with the Ylissean and Feroxi force. A pegasus knight brought news of their arrival, and the Ylissean party made their way from the Demon's Ingle to the shores to rendezvous with their army and the khans.

"All went well at the Mila Tree, I hope?" Flavia put her hands on her hips.

"Yes," Chrom sighed. "And we took a... detour, to cut off one of Walhart's general's forces... in which we also succeeded." Say'ri looked down, and remained silent.

"Basilio, Flavia," Elysa spoke up, steering the topic away, "we need to ask you something." She told them what they'd learned from Tiki, about the Gemstones. "Do you happen to know if Ferox is still in possession of one?"

"No," Flavia pondered, scratching her chin.

"Yes, actually," Basilio rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"What?" Flavia spun to him, incredulous. "How is it that _I_ don't know of this?"

"Did I never tell you...? We have one — Gules. It's around... somewhere."

"Around _somewhere?"_ Flavia threw her arms up in the air. "Gods, what dimwit trusted an oaf like you with something like that?"

Basilio laughed heartily. "Oh, stop it, woman. We'll find it when we get back to our continent."

Elysa looked at Chrom, who was suppressing his laughter. "We... need it rather urgently," she said. "As soon as this war is over, ideally. Once we deal with the Valmese threat, we'll have Grima to contend with."

Flavia and Basilio looked past Elysa to Aversa, who was hovering a while back, with her arms folded across her chest. "Speaking of Grima, what's the Grimleal doing here?" Flavia pointed.

"Rude," Aversa tutted. "I'm the help."

"She's... alright," Elysa muttered. "Don't worry about her. For now, Plegia is on our side – and that's what matters."

Aversa smiled, and walked up to loop her arm over Elysa's shoulder. "Thank you for your shining vote of confidence, my dear. Now... we have a war to plan, no?"


	18. Conquest

The grass flattened out as the pair of pegasi landed, grey and black wings brushing as they folded flat against the horses' flanks. They began to walk along the outer edge of the battle-line, and Elysa cast her gaze over the assembled force, composed of Ylissean and Feroxi soldiers, as well as a small unit of Say'ri's supporters.

"All seems to be in order," Aversa murmured by her side. "We ought to let your prince know we're ready to march."

Elysa nodded. The breeze blew at her mantle, tucking it over her shoulder. She pulled it back into place, where it fluttered obediently. The wind was nothing compared to the gale forces when she darted through the air on Daisy's back.

"Chrom," she called out, as they approached the front of the formation. He turned to them as they approached, giving both women a nod of greeting. "Let's get them moving."

"They've been expecting us," Chrom said, a tinge of doubt in his voice. He pointed to the battlements, where they could see lines of archers along the tops of the ramparts. Elysa followed his finger, and frowned.

"We'll need to approach with the armored units first; before we can get the siege ladders up, we ought to breach the main gate below."

Chrom nodded in assent. "Then we'll do just that." He started to turn to signal Kellam to move his unit forwards, but was interrupted by a gust of wind and a clatter of armor and hooves as Cordelia swept in.

"Sire!" She pulled on the reins of her pegasus to bring her mount to a halt right beside them. "A force approaches from the south. I don't recognize their banners."

"Another Valmese unit?" Chrom gritted his teeth.

"Unknown, sire," Cordelia repeated. "But there are hundreds of them, all on foot. Nearly a thousand, at my best guess."

"Wait," Say'ri spoke. "...From the south, you say?"

They all looked at her, waiting for further explanation. Cordelia nodded. "What is it?"

"I have to see," Say'ri put a hand to her blade to steady it, and then abruptly turned to run to the back of the army.

"Say'ri! Wait!" Chrom called, starting after her. Aversa and Elysa exchanged a glance, then followed suit, pegasi cantering behind the runners. The soldiers stood in perfect formation. The blur of banners, lances, and shields beside them as they made their way down the center aisle gave Elysa a surge of pride in her people, mixed with the excitement and fear of upcoming battle.

Say'ri came to a halt as they reached line of sight of the southern approach, and shielded her eyes against the sun to squint at the approaching bannermen. "My Lord... I — I don't think we need to fear."

"Hm? Do speak quickly," Chrom pressed.

"They fly the colors of my clan... I have reason to believe word of Yen'fay's sacrifice has passed through word of mouth of my people."

"We can't afford to leave our rear vulnerable," Elysa said. "Either way, we have to wait for them to approach."

Chrom nodded reluctantly. "Back line!" He raised his voice. "Assume defensive positions, and hold!" The soldiers rotated in response, shields raised and lances planted in the ground.

There was a surreal silence as they waited, save for the hollow noise of the wind blowing through the lines of men in steel suits. The approaching dynasts moved forwards like the swell of a wave, their lavender and maroon banners whipping violently above their front line.

They stopped a hundred paces from the Ylissean force, and their bannermen parted to let a single man step forwards. He took off his plumed silver helm, revealing a long braid of black hair, and knelt.

"We bring our blades in the service of General Yen'fay, in the honor of his great memory, my lady," he raised his voice across the distance. "Allow us to draw Valmese blood in your honor, and his."

* * *

"It is over, my liege," Cervantes dropped to one knee before the Valmese throne, where Walhart sat, his arm leaning against his massive battleaxe. "You need not die here today — it is not too late to lay down your arms."

The Ylisseans and dynasts had cut through the Valmese defenses and made their way to the throne room within a matter of hours, where they found Walhart waiting for them. He regarded them with a cold, serene gaze, before looking down at his general, pleading for his life.

"Excellus," he spoke, his voice low and rough.

Without further exchange, Excellus manifested between Walhart and Cervantes, and pointed a figure down at the moustached general. Before anyone could even register what was happening, tendrils of dark magic rose up, and speared themselves through Cervantes's chest. He made a horrific choking noise, clutching at his heart, and abruptly stiffened, falling to the floor with a clatter of armor.

"You bloody monster!" Say'ri shrieked, dashing forwards towards Excellus, sword drawn.

"Eh?" Excellus curled his lips in a snarl, and teleported to the back of the hall, beside Walhart, just as Say'ri's blade cut through the air where he just stood.

"Two can play at that game," Aversa murmured.

Elysa started to turn to her. "Wait—"

But Aversa was already gone, in a swirl of black mist, and then they heard her voice from the back of the hall, behind the throne: " _Goetia."_ Spikes rose from the ground, lifting Excellus into the air, and the fat mage squealed as his life was sucked from his body. Aversa smiled, and re-appeared at Elysa's side.

"That is _not_ how we deal with things—" Chrom looked at her in horror as he started a reprimand, but Elysa grabbed his shoulder.

"Let it be," she said quietly, "remember that these are not our lands, and this is not just our war. We can't afford to just fight on our own terms."

She felt Chrom's arm tense under her fingers, and she squeezed his shoulder gently, staring at him with a pressing gaze. Eventually, he shifted his eyes to meet hers, and his expression reluctantly softened. "...Very well." He turned to address the Emperor, glancing briefly at the corpses on the ground. "What will it be, Walhart? The sword, or the knee?"

Walhart chuckled, and rose slowly from the throne. He rested his hand on the top of his axe. Elysa's eyes widened, as she recognized the weapon: the fabled Wolf Berg, an ancient artifact of Valm. "Do not waste my time with questions that you know the answer to, boy," the Emperor said.

"But it doesn't have to be this way," Chrom drew Falchion as he spoke. "You and I share the same ideals. You believe in mankind's strength; so did Emmeryn. You believe that we are the master of our destiny; so do I. We could have joined together, and united the world against Grima."

"Me, join with you?" Walhart laughed, a deep, echoing laugh that reverberated through the hall. Basilio growled in response, his grip on his axe tensing. "Tell me, boy: does a pegasus unite with the flea on its back? A dragon, with the cattle it feeds upon? You forget your place. You forget the order of the world. _I_ am the Conqueror _._ _I_ will unite the world."

"No," Chrom snapped back, firmly, "I will. Peace will only come by stoking peoples' hearts... not their fear."

"And do you believe that's what you've done?" Walhart sneered. "What your sister did before you? She spouted some nonsense and leapt from a rock. That is _weakness,_ boy."

"Wrong!" At the mention of Emmeryn, anger crept into Chrom's tone. "Not weakness; strength. That one act lives on – and will live on, long after all your conquests, long after your death."

"Longer than yours," Walhart took the first step down the stairs. "Come then, flea... and die for your peace!"

"Aversa," Elysa said urgently, as Walhart had barely finished his words. "Let's end it before it can begin." The dark mage cast a sidelong glance at her sister, and a smile crept across her face. She nodded. The two raised their hands above Chrom and Basilio as the two lunged forwards.

" _Arcthunder!"_

Red and black lightning spiraled through the air, causing both the khan and the prince to leap back in surprise. It wrapped itself around Walhart, encasing him in a glowing, crackling prison, and he staggered, nearly toppling over, but catching himself by leaning against the Wolf Berg. His frame shook with the force of the magic... and then the light around him abruptly diverted, and shrank into the blade of his weapon. It pulsed with an ethereal red light.

"What?" Elysa felt a creeping horror prickle down her spine, as the glow spread up Walhart's arm, healing his wounds from the lightning. He breathed huskily, audibly, and righted himself to his full height. A smile spread across his face.

"Do you see now, my power, compared to yours? You are _nothing_ , Grimleal," he bellowed, and swung his axe forwards in an arc towards Chrom and Basilio. "I will extinguish you!" They barely raised their weapons in time, and though they were able to block the swinging blade, they were knocked backwards by the force. Elysa was able to catch Chrom, but they both toppled to the floor, while Basilio landed on his feet, sliding back towards Flavia.

"What do we do against that kind of magic?" Flavia gritted her teeth.

"We fight as one," Chrom pulled himself up, dragging Elysa with him. "Together, we can bring him down. Shepherds! To me!"

Once again, the Ylisseans surged forwards, with Basilio and Flavia leading the charge. Walhart swept against them in great defensive arcs, fending them backwards, and they cycled in and out, between his swings, taking stabs at his defenses.

Elysa and Aversa hung back, knowing they'd be less than useful in the melee. But the longer she watched, the more she knew they weren't getting anywhere. And with each strike and ring of steel, the sanguine glow around Wolf Berg grew stronger.

"Can you do what you did earlier, with the teleportation magic?" Elysa turned to the Grimleal beside her. "Take me behind him – perhaps we can take him by surprise." Her hand went to the Levin Sword at her waist.

Aversa frowned. "I can, but it wont be instantaneous. It's not meant to take more than one person along – at my caliber of magic, anyhow."

"Do it," Elysa said, and drew her blade. Aversa gave her a bemused look, and wrapped an arm around Elysa's waist, starting to murmur an incantation under her breath. The world began to warp and weave around them. The battle seemed to start moving at a slower pace, and the shroud began to grow more and more opaque around them.

Time ticked by, the sound of steel clashing dulling further and further, and then there was a pulling sensation, and they popped back into reality by the throne. Elysa narrowed her eyes, steeled herself against the dizziness and nausea, and charged forwards, leveling her sword with the gap in the back of Walhart's armor, by the nape of his neck.

Then the Conqueror let out a roar, and a powerful wave of energy emanated from the Wolf Berg, radiating around him and knocking all his enemies prone. Elysa flew backwards into Aversa, and the two toppled down the trio of stairs by the throne. She maintained her grip on her blade, but felt one of her ribs crack painfully. As the ringing in her ears from the shockwave diminished, she heard a sickening crunch, and a dull moan of pain.

" _BASILIO!"_

Flavia's strangled scream cut through the air. Elysa leapt to her feet, cursing at the sharp pain in her side, and saw Walhart starting to pull his waraxe from Basilio's stomach, where he lay on the floor. A coldness set into her blood.

"Die," she growled, and wind magic swirled around her feet as she dashed forwards, plunging the Levin Sword into the back of the emperor's neck. The Wolf Berg could not protect him from her lightning now, as it surged directly into his spine. Walhart went rigid, and shuddered once. The ancient Valmese artifact toppled to the floor, blood dripping from its blade.

Walhart turned his head to look at her, furthering his hemorrhaging, as his blood dripped around his armor from his neck. "You... must be his Queen," he laughed, choking on his own blood. "You see now," he managed hoarsely. "The blade... is... the only – the only way..."

His weight was suddenly on the sword, and she couldn't hold it up as he fell to the floor with a tremendous thud, wrenching the hilt out of her hands as it lay embedded in his back.

Elysa stared at the body, and her blade, as his blood pooled around him and began to drip down the stairs. The chill clenched her heart, and a dark haze clouded her vision.

 ** _It is a good taste, inexorable Death... is it not, my daughter?_**

She started at the voice, and looked around, shaking herself from the half-dream state, the warmth of reality causing a prickle on her skin. _...What?_

"Basilio... don't you dare!" Flavia's hoarse voice caught her attention, and Aversa's movement darting in the corner of her vision. She followed, numbly.

The khan was laying supine, his shaking hands brushing at the gaping wound in his stomach. "I'm... sorry, Flavia," he muttered, "it seems I've been done in."

"Shut up," Flavia shook him by the shoulders, and he grimaced in pain. "You can... you can make it, we can—"

"No, you can't," Basilio said gravely. "I'm— finished... but not quite yet." He lifted a shaking hand, and unbuttoned the top button of his jerkin, pulling a chain from around his neck, revealing a gleaming green gemstone from its end. He tugged on the chain, hard, breaking it and letting the gemstone slide off. Clicking it out of its holster, he reached for Chrom's hand, pressing it into the prince's palm. "I'm... sorry that I didn't reveal this to you sooner. Gules... take good care of it. I was told to only reveal it at the time of... greatest need."

Chrom stared down at the gem in his hand, with a streak of Basilio's blood on its rounded edge. "I... thank you, Basilio," he managed, and then seemed to run out of words.

"Basilio, don't," Flavia pleaded, her face reddening with the threat of highly uncharacteristic tears. "For the sake of all the gods, _don't—"_

"You take care of Ferox, you hear me?" Basilio smiled. "Don't let the power of being the only khan, don't let it get to your head. I'd never let..." He gritted his teeth, trailing off, and tensed up. His eyes fixed on a point on the ceiling above them, and glazed over, as his last breath slipped through his lips.

"BASILIO!" Flavia screamed, burying her head in his shoulder.

Elysa felt sick. She turned away from the grieving khan, and walked back over to Walhart's body. Her hand moving seemingly of its own accord, she reached for her blade, and planted a foot against Walhart's back, pulling it free from his corpse. She stared at the drying blood on its jagged edge.

 ** _Heed the call, Elysa. Taste the blood of the world._**

A searing pain shot through her mind, accompanying the dark whispers. "Nngh..."

"Elysa?" Chrom had stood as well, leaving Cordelia to comfort Flavia. "Are you alright?"

"I'm... fine," Elysa said, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. "It's just... a lot."

Chrom nodded, and pulled her close to him. "We made it out safely, though, and that's what matters."

"Not all of us," Elysa murmured, staring past his shoulder at Flavia and Basilio.

Chrom pressed his lips to her forehead. "You did, and you're the one who matters most to me. I can't do this without you, you know."

She managed a weak smile. "I'll do my best to stick around."

He nodded, a serious expression on his face. "Good. For now though, we ought to get out of here... the rest of Walhart's forces had already laid down arms, but everyone must know that the battle is over. Say'ri will be waiting for us."

"Yes." She halted, and hesitated. "We... we should have Walhart buried."

Chrom looked surprised. "That's Valm's business."

"I – I can't see him left here like this," Elysa said quietly. She glanced to the gruesome scene laid out on the stairs to the throne. "Please. Let us at least return his remains to his generals."

Her husband regarded her curiously. "Are you certain there isn't something else bothering you?"

Elysa hesitated a long moment. "...nothing to be discussed right now."

Chrom sighed. "...I trust you. So be it."

* * *

They boarded the ships back to Ylisse, and Basilio was buried at sea. Flavia shortly drowned any semblance of emotion as quickly as possible in victory revelries and copious alcohol, as with the rest of the Shepherds and much of the bulk of the surviving army.

Elysa sat a ways away from the commotion at the prow of the main vessel, staring out at the sea as it moved past them. She breathed in the salted air, closing her eyes and trying to clear her head, but the memory of the dark voice kept tickling her mind, unsettling her.

"No booze for you?" Aversa's voice turned her towards the starboard side of the ship.

"Not in the mood," Elysa murmured.

"Understandably so," Aversa laughed. "You lost a comrade today, and killed the Conqueror with your own hand. For me, I'd want nothing more than a cask full of wine to numb the mind, but I know – to each their own."

"Aversa," she said suddenly. "Do you... Does Grima... does He ever speak to you?"

The other woman was taken by surprise. "Of course not. He only whispers in the ears of the chosen. Have you heard from our Lord, lately?"

"I..." Elysa suddenly regretted betraying her thoughts. "...yes. I think so."

Aversa was silent for a moment. Then she reached into her cloak, and withdrew a letter. "Speaking of... lords and gods and the darkness. I was supposed to deliver this to Ylissean hands once the war is won. Considering that your husband is rather incapacitated at this time, would you care to...?"

Elysa furrowed her brow, and took the parchment from Aversa. She unrolled it, and felt a surge of mixed feelings as she recognized Validar's hand again.

"An invitation to Plegia... and a generous offer," she looked at the letter darkly. "He claims to have the last gemstone."

"He does," Aversa affirmed. "And he plans to give it to you, now that you've won this war... give peace a chance, perhaps?"

Elysa folded the letter and slipped it under her belt. She noted a splashed bloodstain on her clothing.

"Perhaps. At the very least, I think I need to meet him. I want nothing to do with Grima, but perhaps the best way to deal with this is to face it head-on."

* * *

•

•

•

* * *

The palace guard looked at her in surprise. "My Lady... we were not expecting you back until the morning."

"I could not wait to see my dear daughter a day longer," she said, voice laced with layers of warmth and feigned excitement. She passed the reins of the black pegasus off to the guard. "See to this one, would you? I'd like to take Lucina out for a nighttime flight, I think."

"Of course, Your Grace," the guard bowed deeply, and obediently took the pegasus under his watch. "I know she has been much anticipating your return, and a ride on Daisy."

She walked down the halls of the palace with practiced ease, curling her lips into a smile at each person they passed in greeting. She paused outside the library quarters, peering in through the open door. Lissa and Lon'qu were sitting across from one another at a table, the princess reading to her partner in a lowered voice. She smiled in satisfaction. _Good. No need to involve others._

Outside the royal bedchambers, the guards looked similarly surprised, but let her pass without more than, "Welcome home, Your Grace." She gave the guards a polite nod, and brushed past.

There was a light shining through the cracked door to Lucina's room. Tharja sat on the edge of the bed, and was just opening a book in her lap. She paused at the sound of approaching footsteps. "Someone's here," she stated, half a question.

"Who is it?" Lucina queried.

In response, she pushed the door open, and offered Tharja and Lucina a broad smile. "Hello, love."

"Mommy!" Lucina squealed with excitement, throwing her sheets off and leaping off of her bed and into their arms. "You're back, you're really back!"

"Yes, my dear," she scooped the little girl up and onto her hip. "With lots of tales to tell you of the adventures I've had across the sea... and Daddy will be home tomorrow. I just rushed back to see you, little love."

Tharja stood, regarding them with a blank expression. "Elysa," she said, a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "I didn't see you come in and drop off your baggage, or change out of your travelling clothes."

"I left them on the ship," she offered in response. "I was in a hurry to get back..."

"Of... of course." Tharja narrowed her eyes. She experienced a tinge of discontentment. _Not good. The woman suspects. We'll have to deal with her._

"Luci," she addressed the little girl. "Would you like to go for a quick flight, while I tell you a story? I'll have you right back for bed soon."

"It doesn't have to be quick!" Lucina wiggled in their arms. "Let's go, please please!"

"Tharja," she looked back over to the dark-robed woman. "Would you care to come with? You look like some fresh air would do you some good."

"You know I don't like flying," Tharja muttered. They could taste her doubt in the air. "But... perhaps tonight, I will come along. I have a strange feeling about this."

"What?" Lucina turned towards her 'Aunty.' "What's the matter?"

Tharja looked from the girl, to the figure that looked exactly like the Queen of Ylisse. "Don't worry yourself, dove. Let's go, I suppose."


	19. Sacred Blood

They made the trip to Plegia on horseback from the docks, en route back to Ylisse. Chrom was reluctant to make the stop, eager to return to his daughter, but agreed with Elysa on the necessity of retrieving the final gemstone, even if it meant an audience with Validar – whom he was less than thrilled to meet.

"Come now," Aversa purred, as they made the approach up to the Plegian palace. "As I said to your dear wife... give peace a chance." Chrom stared back at her in silence, and turned back to stare at the road grimly. Aversa scowled. "Tch."

She turned to Elysa instead. "I do urge you to give _Validar_ a chance as well. Once you've met our father, you'll see that he truly does hold you in the highest regard..."

"I have no intentions of aligning myself with the Grimleal," Elysa responded. "I can't imagine what he'd want with me other than for some sort of agreement with the Fell Dragon." She paused for a moment. "When I was last in Plegia, Tharja told me of our mother, and of my bloodli—"

" _Your_ mother," Aversa corrected. She laughed. "I'm not Validar's natural-born daughter... he picked me off the streets, you see. But you don't care about that little tidbit of information, most likely... my apologies. Continue."

Elysa was surprised. "So we're not truly related, then?"

Aversa crinkled her nose teasingly. "Don't sound too relieved, dear."

"No, no. I merely puzzle at your... your kinship. You've been awfully friendly to me, for someone who's not _really_ a relative."

"Family is everything," Aversa said. Elysa was surprised once more, even as Aversa continued, "That is why I ask that you reconsider your predispositions towards Validar. I have... hope for you, yet."

Elysa had no response to Aversa's candor. Daisy, sensing her confliction, tossed her head. " _Be wary, mistress."_

"I'll see what he has to say."

Accompanied by Cordelia, Stahl, Sully and Virion, they were given entry to the grand hall. "Welcome home, Lady Aversa... Lady Elysa." The guards greeted the two at the front of the party.

 _Home?_ Elysa felt a creeping surge of uncertainty.

They were allowed to ride their mounts straight into the grand hall, where King Validar awaited them, seated on the throne. The coldness in her veins sent a shock throughout her entire body when Elysa saw his face.

He regarded her with his gleaming red eyes, a smile spreading across his thin lips. "So you've come to me at last, my dear."

"We've met before," Elysa said, her voice hushed. She turned slowly to Chrom. "He's the mage who attempted the assassination on Emmeryn."

Chrom's eyes went wide. "...but how?! We killed him — you ought to be dead, it can't be."

Validar laughed. "You underestimate the power of the Fell Dragon... the egde of death is a trivial matter to the Eminence."

Elysa felt hollow. Then the searing pain came back to her mind. "Hnngh..." The room tilted and swam before her eyes, Validar's cold smile blurring back and forth.

"Elysa?" Chrom gripped at her arm, bringing her back to the present. The double-vision steadied, the world came back into focus.

"Chrom," she whispered, "we've made a mistake coming here..."

"Nonsense," Validar stood, with another smile, making his way down the stairs to stand before Elysa, who took a step back in response. "I invited you into our home to impart a gift... and for you to meet someone very important. They have much to say..." He turned, and Elysa followed his gaze to a figure seated in the shadows behind the throne. "My Lady..."

The woman stood, and when she stepped into the light, the pain returned to Elysa's mind, with a wave of confusion. The woman was clad in the same robe that Elysa wore when she first came to, the robe that had belonged to her mother Ellaria before her. _Perhaps more than one like it exists_. Then the woman removed the hood, and turned her dark eyes to Elysa.

It was like staring into a mirror, but there was no glass before her. The woman was a perfect clone of Elysa, save for her eyes: instead of a warm grey, they were profoundly black, reflecting no light.

"What is this magic?" Chrom growled. "Who are you?"

"Hello." The woman looked at Chrom, and gave him the faintest shadow of a smile. "It's _good_ to see you... my dear." Elysa recognized her voice, a smooth tone of silken shadow. It was not her own, but the one that she'd heard whispering words of death in her head. "I am Elysa."

"You're me?" Elysa's voice cracked.

Aversa placed a hand on her shoulder. "Rather... the you who accepted her destiny, love."

"Let me tell you a story," the woman turned, and ran her hand along the back of the throne. The wall behind the throne began to shift, sliding down into the floor, revealing a hidden room, unlit and too masked by shade to make out. "A story of the future." There was the groaning of stone and steel, and the throne began to slide into the ground, removing the obstruction from their view beyond. Validar moved as the woman spoke, picking up a torch from one of the sconces along the wall.

"In another time, in another future," she continued, crossing the throne platform and stairs to take the torch from Validar, "there is a great tragedy that comes to you, Elysa. Those that you love are lost to you... what you know as your reality is stripped away. But then salvation comes, on the wings of Death, on the breath of the wind that brings the turning of an era."

She began to light braziers in the room that had been revealed, one at a time. There was a small altar at its center, with a young girl shackled to it, and a body laying in the corner, with an ornate, curved knife buried in its chest.

"The Dragon offers his power to you, and you become one. And through your combined lifeforce, the world is brought to its knees... purged of the filth of mankind, the bloody crimes of war, the sins of the infidel." The final brazier was lit, and the girl's face came into view, the body cast into the light, and Elysa recognized her daughter, and Tharja.

"No way," Chrom breathed. "Luci?"

"Papa?" Lucina's shoulders shook, and she looked up from the body at her feet to the Ylisseans before her. "What's going on? Why did... why did Mommy kill Aunty Tharja?" Then she caught sight of Elysa. " _What's going on?"_ She began to cry.

"Who are you, really?" Elysa was frozen in place, watching the woman as she walked forwards, toeing Tharja's head disrespectfully. Her face turned towards them, gaunt and drained of blood, her eyes glazed and staring at nothing. Elysa felt an insurmountable dread, as hope drained from her heart.

"I am the wings of chaos. I am the breath of ruin." The woman's dark eyes gleamed, and she placed her hands on Lucina's shoulders.

 **"I am the Fell Dragon, Grima."**

There was a flash of steel from the corner of Elysa's eye as Falchion flew from its sheath. "Don't touch her," he growled. "Get away from our daughter, now." The chains attached to Lucina's manacles shook as the girl shivered in fear.

"Papa," she whimpered, "Papa, please—"

The figure of Grima placed a hand over Lucina's mouth. "Hush, my love... it will all be over soon." Its sinster gaze turned to Elysa. "I am here to bring my future to yours. We will draw the darkness out of you; you will taste more of Death... and you will come to me."

Another bolt of pain shot through Elysa's mind, bringing her to her knees. She screamed, but couldn't hear the sound of her own voice. _This is a dream. This is an illusion. This isn't real,_ she thought to herself. _This can't be real._

Chrom looked from his imprisoned daughter to his fallen wife, torn beyond capacity. Cordelia and the other Shepherds drew their weapons, but hesitated to charge, with the princess in captivity before them.

Elysa's shoulders shook, and by a force from without her body, her head was lifted up, forcing her to look at the body of the woman whom she'd known as her family, and her daughter chained to the altar. Grima looked at her in satisfaction. "Fear not, my child. There will be no pain, until I consume your soul..."

Shadows of smoke rose around Grima's hands, and Lucina's eyes slid shut, her body slumping down onto the altar. Elysa screamed again, and she heard the shrill noise this time, echoing around the hall.

"NO!" Chrom lunged forwards, only to run into an invisible barrier at the top of the stairs. The force of his collision staggered him, and he toppled to the ground.

From her unconscious body, the shimmering outline of their daughter sat up, looking around in confusion. Terror masked her small face, and she squealed as Grima grabbed her by the wrist, an ethereal, echoing sound. "Come to me, child..." Grima spoke, its voice harsh and whispering in everyone's ears, "come to me, and give your mother to the darkness..."

"You will not have her, Fell One," another voice, soft and familiar, spoke behind them, and the room was filled with blinding light. In control of her body again, Elysa lifted an arm to shield her eyes, and the others did the same. When the light faded, Tiki was standing where the throne used to be, wreathed in a golden glow.

"Daughter of Naga," Grima hissed, curling its lips into a snarl. "I should have expected you to interfere."

"Then you would have been prepared," Tiki had her back to them, facing Grima. She walked forwards, and Grima shrank back against the far wall between two braziers, away from Naga's light. Tiki approached the altar, treading lightly around Tharja's body, and placed her hand on Lucina's cheek. A serene look passed across the child's face, followed by surfacing realization. She looked at Grima behind her, and then to Elysa and Chrom, on the ground before the steps.

"Mama... Papa..." Tears welled up in her eyes, shining motes of light. "I'm— I'm sorry, this is my fault, I thought – I thought she was you, I thought—"

"Lucina," Chrom's voice was pained as he stared up at Tiki and his daughter, struggling to his feet. "Lucina, it's alright. It's going to be okay."

"It's not your fault," Elysa's voice cracked. "I should be the one who's sorry. If I were not..." She winced, fighting off another jolt of pain. "If I were not who I am... If I had better protected you..." She felt her own tears begin to swell and trickle over.

"Mommy, no," Lucina sounded distressed again. "Please don't cry. I'm... I'm okay," she looked at Tiki, and then up at something the rest of them couldn't see, over Tiki's shoulder. Peace flooded her face. "The dragon is going to look after me."

Elysa's eyes widened. "No," she realized what was about to happen. "No, please... you can't go," she tried to stand, and cried out as Grima snarled in protest at the unraveling scene before it. Agony wracked her body. She turned to Aversa. "Aversa... Aversa, please," she begged, "do something, you _can_ do something, anything."

Aversa looked down at her, and her brow furrowed a moment. Her jaw tensed, and she looked to Validar, who gave her a cold glance and shook his head. Aversa looked up to the altar, to her Lord cowering at the back of the room, then to Elysa once more. She turned away without saying anything.

"We must move," Tiki turned to them then, and Elysa saw that her eyes glowed with otherworldly light. She lifted Lucina's shimmering form off of the altar, and the spectral girl ran down the steps to her mother. When she touched Elysa's face, the pain left her body.

"Lucina," Elysa whispered. "Lucina..."

The little girl smiled, and planted a kiss on Elysa's forehead. It felt like the kiss of the wind. She reached over her shoulder to Chrom, who moved over to them quickly, and squeezed her father's hand. "I have to go now," she said simply. "Naga says I can't stay here anymore. Will you be okay?"

"No," Chrom tried to grab her hand, but his passed through her. "Lucina...!" He turned over his shoulder. "Naga... Naga, if that is truly you, please! You can save her, please—"

Tiki shook her head. "Naga cannot reverse what Grima has done, but she will take care of your daughter's soul. Lucina is the blood of dragons, her spirit is strong... you need not fear for her. Do not waver in your faith now, Prince Chrom."

At the impossibility of the situation before him, Chrom cursed under his breath. He looked at his daughter. "...I love you, Lucina." She smiled back at him.

"I love you too, Daddy," she said. "And I love you, Mommy."

"Chrom?" Elysa looked up at him, disbelieving. "What are you saying? We can't just—"

"I have to go now," Lucina repeated, looking at her mournfully, and lovingly. "I know you can't understand... but I have to. And you need to run from here," she said, urgency creeping into her voice. "It isn't safe."

The light around Tiki intensified. "It's time," Tiki pressed. Lucina looked at her and nodded. She looked one final time at Chrom and Elysa, and then her smile lingered for only a moment before her form vanished into the light.

" _Lucina!"_ Elysa wailed, her hands grabbing out at the air where she had disappeared. "No... NO!"

 ** _You still feel the pain... good,_** Grima's voice echoed in her mind. _**Submit,**_ ** _submit to it, my daughter. Give in to your grief._**

Elysa's legs crumpled under her. The world around her faded into the surreal.

Chrom grabbed her arm, pulling her back up immediately. The light surrounded them all, and they were suddenly outside the palace, horses and Daisy and Shepherds included. Chrom said something to her, but she stared blankly at the double doors, at the distant red glow around the figure that stood behind the altar of the throne room.


	20. Lucina

" _Elysa!"_

She sat limply on the dusty road before the palace, as grey clouds began to gather overhead.

"Can you hear me? Elysa?! Gods, damn it all..." Chrom scooped her up in his arms, tossed her across Daisy's saddle, and swung up after her. Elysa felt heavy, as if she could sense her own deadweight on the pegasus's back.

"Milord," Cordelia was wide-eyed and shaken by the rapid progression of events that had just unfolded, but her composure persisted. "Do we turn and fight?"

"No," Chrom tightened his grip around Elysa, wrapping one arm around her and taking up Daisy's reins in his free hand. "Make for the border, as quickly as you can – we shouldn't fight on their turf."

"Chrom, it's nearly an hour's ride to the nearest crossing onto Ylissean land," Sully protested. "Best we don't let these bastards run us—"

"It's not up for debate," Chrom snapped. " _Go!"_

Elysa lurched in the saddle as Daisy took off, hooves pounding on the road. Her uncertainty with Chrom at the reins made her hesitant to leave the ground, but the lack of responsiveness from her mistress gave her little choice but to move.

The dull, rhythmic thumping of the horses and pegasus sprinting down the road blurred with the sound of Elysa's heartbeat, steadily beating like a drum. With each reverberation, she felt colder and emptier, even as the shadows of the Plegian palace began to diminish into the distance.

It was a hollowness that she knew, one that she had felt before. The overwhelming sense of déjà vu sought its source, and she saw, in a flash of memory, a grassy field under a barely clouded day. The scene was replaced with a rapid sequence of still, obscure images: a battle of some sort, Validar flying through the air, a massive explosion of purple lightning, Chrom's body laying prone on the ground... and then the scent and soft sensation of grass all around her again. Then Grima's voice purred in her mind.

 _ **Let me in, my child.**_

In a massive flood, her memories came back to her. Everything as Tharja had told her of her mother, the journey away from Plegia in her youth – it surged back as if she were breaking through the water's surface to come up for air. She remembered the day Chrom and Lissa had found her, wandering the countryside as she sojourned away from Tharja, seeking her freedom, and encountered the dark figure cloaked in her own visage.

 _ **Clever girl. It comes back to you. I have tried once before, to take you under my wings; but you resisted, foolishly. The damages to your mind are of your own doing, don't you see?**_ _ **You would not take my consciousness —**_ **our** _ **consciousness, so you lost your own...**_

 _No,_ she thought, _no, you took it from me. And now you've taken Lucina away from me._

 _ **To be empty is to be receptive; impartial. Your destiny is far greater than any mortal bond that you could possibly forge.**_

" _Get out of my head!"_ she screamed, aloud, without realizing it. She shook herself violently, and Chrom tightened his arm around her, pulling her to his chest.

"I have you," he said firmly, "I have you, and Grima will not take you, you hear me?"

She clung desperately to the sound of his voice, which finally reached her ears. She reached back, taking a fistful of his cloak in her hands, and looked up at him, fighting to stay rooted in reality and peel herself from the shadows.

"She's gone, Chrom... she's gone."

"She's not gone," Chrom swallowed, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. "But she's safe, safer than she could ever be anywhere else." Elysa pressed her face to his chest and stifled her tears.

She looked over his shoulder. There was no force in pursuit – only a lone, dusky grey pegasus. _Aversa._ She could have easily caught up to them, but lingered a bit back, seeming to trail behind them more than chasing the group.

They proceeded like that until they reached a bridge crossing a great ravine, marking a mile out from the Ylissean border. Aversa suddenly dashed ahead, landing in front of them and blocking their way. She held an ornate grimoire in one hand, and her pegasus's reins in the other. Her face was an expressionless mask.

"It's not too late to turn back, dear," she said patiently. "No one has to die here."

"How can you think that is even a possibility?" Elysa's voice was still hoarse. "Whoever you think I am, I'm not."

"On the contrary," Aversa sighed, "you are not who you think you are."

Clouds of red and black mist began to swirl around them, and from the miasma, haggard figures began to crawl up onto the edges of the bridge.

"It's the Risen," Cordelia twirled her lance. "To arms!"

"Stay," Chrom said to Elysa firmly, and swung himself off the saddle. "You leave the fighting to us for now." Before she could offer her assent, he had already drawn Falchion and turned to cut down the nearest Risen.

Elysa sat limply and obsequiently in the saddle, slightly hunched over as the Shepherds locked into combat with Aversa's reinforcements. She saw Kellam knock one with the back of his lance, toppling it over into the ravine below, as it screeched out an ungodly scream.

The sound of wing-beats drawing near over the din of battle turned Elysa's attention to the sky, where Aversa had swept over the Shepherds to hover nearby. Chrom immediately dashed back to Elysa's side, leveling Falchion with the grey pegasus.

"Come down here, and I'll kill you," he threatened.

Aversa looked over her pegasus's wings. "Elysa," she said, just loudly enough to be audible over the battle. "Do you not see that Grima's truth is the only truth? He will purge the world of all other evils, save—"

"He _is_ the One Evil," Chrom interrupted harshly.

"I will not be the one responsible for trading thousands of innocent lives for the 'redemption' of this land," Elysa shook her head. "And I could never come back to your side after you just let them take Lucina like that... and to think that you knew what would happen all along, while you were with us in Valm, and said nothing; you're nothing but a cold-blooded liar."

A look of sadness crossed Aversa's face. "I didn't know what he had planned. Validar sent me to you with the missives, that was all... believe me or not as you will." Elysa looked up at her with empty eyes. "I apologise, love... Validar is not just a father to me, but he is my lord; his bidding is my sworn duty."

She swept down, and a gale of dark magic shoved Chrom backwards. Two Risen descended upon him.

"Chrom!" Elysa cried out, sliding off of the saddle and reaching for her tome. The dark wall of magic pulsed between them, and she saw him throw the decrepit forms off as he struggled to his feet, taking a glancing blow across the chest from one's axe as he stood. He clutched at the wound as blood began to stain his jerkin.

Aversa's grey pegasus dove at Daisy, who reared up to meet it, but the momentum from the dive was enough to topple the defending pegasus to the ground. The grey pegasus lifted its hooves and came down hard, crippling one of Daisy's wings. Elysa felt her pain as she brayed in agony, taking another painful kick to the flank.

"Stop it," Elysa pleaded, the fight drained from her. "Please, if you're here to kill me, then do it, and leave them be."

Aversa looked over her shoulder, and pulled her mount away from Elysa's fallen pegasus. "I do wish it didn't have to be so, Elysa..." she whispered.

Elysa's hand trembled as she let her tome slip from her fingers, and it tumbled onto the bridge, its pages fluttering weakly. The void in her heart threatened to swallow her up, and even as Aversa's hand began to pass over the grimoire, she felt no dread at the thought of death.

"There's nothing I can do to you that Master Grima cannot reverse in his vessel... but I will try to be quick about it."

Elysa locked eyes with her "sister." She stared the other woman down silently, and Aversa made another _tch._ "Your stubbornness is legendary." At that, she cast the spell, and a black spear of shadow flew forwards, burying itself in Elysa's heart.

" _Mother!"_

She staggered back from the impact, but couldn't close her hands around the spear's intangible form. Her vision clouded as the figure who had shouted leapt from the railing of the bridge, tackling Aversa off of her pegasus, rolling with her onto the bridge. _Too late,_ Elysa thought, dimly aware of the dark barrier dissipating around them. She watched, dazed, as Aversa stood, shoving a blue-cloaked woman away from her. The woman landed on her feet, and lunged forwards, burying Falchion in Aversa's stomach, pinning her against the railing. She hissed in Aversa's face, and tipped her off of the bridge. The grey pegasus whinnied in terror, and took off after its mistress's plummeting body.

Elysa dropped to her knees, and the woman turned, sprinting towards her. As she slumped to the ground, the woman reached her, and gathered Elysa in her arms, shouting inaudibly. Her mind rapidly fading from consciousness, Elysa reached up, touched the familiar face, and smiled at the hazy image of the Brand of the Exalt in the wide blue eyes looking down at her.

"Luci, you came for me," she whispered, and let herself slip into darkness.


	21. Posterity

She floated in a suspended twilight, enveloping her like a heavy blanket in the depths of winter. She saw nothing, and felt nothing, but heard _him_ calling her name, over and over again.

 _ **Elysa. Elysa. Elysa.**_

 _Let me go,_ she thought. _Just be silent, and let me go._

 _ **You are mine, Elysa... not even Death can change that.**_

"It is not your day yet," a new voice murmured, close to her ear. She tried to turn to see its source, but found that she couldn't move. "Your family needs you."

 _Chrom_. Her heart tightened, as she remembered seeing him injured on the bridge. Then the rest of the scene unfolded in her mind, and she suddenly felt the pain in her chest from the dark spear.

"Be still," the voice soothed. "You are out of danger; I have seen to that. It is up to you to return to us now, Elysa."

* * *

"Ow," Chrom winced as Lissa peeled off the bandages across his chest.

"What do you mean, ' _ow?'_ It's healing perfectly well. I did my job." She folded her arms and looked at the pinking line across her brother's chest. "If it still hurts, it shouldn't for long."

"I should count myself lucky that it wasn't worse," Chrom murmured.

"Yes, yes you should." Lissa's expression grew serious, and she stooped next to him. "Any of these battles could take your life, Chrom. Do you understand that?"

"Of course I do," Chrom said gravely. "Recent events have shown me that no one is safe; I am not so naïve as to think myself an exception."

"Good," Lissa stood, nodding contentedly. "Then you'll be more careful."

"I'll do my best," Chrom smiled.

Lissa pressed a cold, damp washcloth against the fresh scar. The sensation was soothing, and Chrom leaned back against his chair. "How's Elysa?" Lissa asked.

"She still hasn't woken up." Chrom closed his eyes. "Tiki is with her now, as last I saw before I came here."

"And Marth— I mean... Lucina?"

"She's there as well," Chrom ignored Lissa's slip. Everything that had happened the previous day was already difficult to wrap his head around, but it was easy to pretend for now that all would be well soon in the Ylissean palace.

After the battle at the border, they had taken an unconscious Elysa back to Ylisstol, along with her injured pegasus, the woman they had known as Marth, and her three followers, Owain, Severa, and Inigo.

She told them the story that Marth had told them in the courtyard more than three years ago: that they came from the future. The only explanation for her possession of Falchion and the birthmark in her eye was that she was telling the truth.

Then there was the matter of her companions. Severa and Inigo shared the appearance and name of Cordelia and Olivia's children, respectively, and were about the same age as Lucina – both highly convincing of their identity. And there was Owain.

A knock at the door heralded his arrival.

"Uh... ahem. Mother?"

Lissa halted abruptly, squeezing the washcloth, causing cold water to drip across Chrom's lap. She looked at him for help, but he shrugged. "...Yes, Owain?"

He slipped through the door, ignoring the shirtless exalt in the chair. Chrom looked him up and down. He was a carbon copy of Lon'qu, with a shock of Lissa's blonde hair.

"I was hoping we could, like, talk, catch up a bit, maybe?" He shuffled his legs awkwardly, toying with the hilt of his blade. "I'd like to know you in this time."

Lissa sighed, and turned uncomfortably. "Owain... I'm sorry for my distance, but it's all very strange to me. In – in this time, Lon'qu and I aren't even _married_."

"Yet," Owain chirped, confidently. "You will, in about a year, if my timelines are correct, and then he will give you the _best_ son that you could—"

"Oooookay," Lissa held her hands up, "Let's not get into that part too much. We can just go for a walk, how about that?"

"Be nice," Chrom muttered to her. "If he is your son... he deserves your kindness, no matter what world we're in. Especially if the world that they come from is truly as grim they say."

Lucina, Owain, Severa, and Inigo were the last surviving children of Chrom and the Shepherds, brought through time and space by a ritual of Naga to undo the events that led to the destruction of Ylisse at Grima's hands before they could happen. Lucina explained, to the best of her ability, that the Grima they had encountered in Plegia was most likely Elysa from their timeline; Elysa who had succumbed to the darkness and become Grima's fell vessel.

 _That_ was the part Chrom didn't want to believe. His Elysa, turned to the darkness... it would have been unimaginable, but after seeing what they had done to their little Lucina, it wasn't impossible that they'd be able to break her. He thanked Naga that Elysa in his timeline had the fortitude to not give in then and there, but his heart ached at the memory of what he'd witnessed at the bridge.

She had given up. He saw her, through the dark barrier, prepared to lay down her life to Aversa – and she may have succeeded yet. He closed his eyes. _I'm still here... doesn't she see that_ I _still need her? What happened to her promise, to stay by my side, no matter the circumstance?_

"I'll leave you to it," he stood suddenly, pulling himself away from his thoughts to address his sister and supposed nephew. "Enjoy yourselves, stay safe." He dabbed himself dry with a fresh washcloth, and pulled his jerkin back over his head.

"Where are you going?" Lissa asked. "Don't push yourself too hard yet, your body still needs rest to fully recover."

"Just upstairs." He adjusted his collar and made for the door, where Owain shuffled out of the way.

"Oh." Lissa nodded in understanding. "...Good luck."

Chrom made his way upstairs, and through the main wing of the palace until he came to the royal chambers. He paused a few feet away from the door to his and Elysa's room, and ran his hands through his hair in distress. He exhaled heavily, steadying himself, and pushed the door open.

Tiki was standing beside the bed, eyes closed, her hand resting lightly on Elysa's forehead. At the foot of the bed, Lucina sat in a chair, her head buried in her arms on the bed. When the door opened, she looked up. Her eyes were slightly reddened from recent tears.

"...Father."

Chrom hesitated a moment. "Lucina."

She looked hurt. "If... if you'd rather I call you something else, I—"

"No," Chrom shook his head, immediately regretting his pause, and crossed to her, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's just strange to my ear. I'm used to... a younger you."

"I know," Lucina said quietly. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry for your loss. I don't pretend to be enough to make up for her absence, but—"

"You're what we have now, and never think of yourself as less than enough," Chrom bent down to eye level with her, staring into her Brand. Certainty settled in his heart and mind. "You are my daughter, no matter what time or place, and I love you." His eyes traveled to Falchion at her side. "...You deserved so much more from us than one sword and a world of troubles."

Tears welled up in Lucina's eyes again. "Father... oh, Father." She reached out to him, and he held her against his side, stroking her hair gently.

Eventually, her shoulders ceased to shake, and she wiped her eyes on her sleeve. She looked up at him. "I'm sorry. Everything has come back so suddenly — when Tiki came to get us, it was as if my childhood memories came flooding back, everything I'd lost, everything that..." she swallowed back another sob. " _Your_ Lucina, from this world... she's safe now, but it would seem that Naga has granted me her memories and... and some of her years back. It's difficult to explain—"

"You've had many difficult things to explain," Chrom sat next to her at the foot of the bed. "...I believe you, Lucina. Even when we knew you as Marth, everything you did for us, everything you endeavored, was to help us."

"I tried," she looked over at Elysa's unconscious form. "I tried so hard, but then I spent the last few years seeking out the others from my time, and not only – not only did I only manage to save Owain and Severa and Inigo, but I came too late to help Mother."

"You came in time," Tiki spoke suddenly, her emerald eyes opening.

"My Lady," Lucina straightened, tipping her head in a tiny bow. "I..."

"Hush, my dear," Tiki ran the back of her finger along Lucina's cheekbone. "You did everything you could, and your mother is still alive for it. She draws near to the waking world."

Chrom leaned forwards and took Elysa's hand. He squeezed it tightly. "We need you, Elysa... come back to us." She made no response, her face serene and still. Chrom fought back fresh tears, and shifted closer to her.

Her fingers moved slightly, and her long lashes fluttered for a moment, before her eyes opened minutely. A flood of relief overcame Chrom, and he was at her side in an instant, pulling her up into his arms recklessly.

"...Chrom?" She murmured against his shoulder.

He pulled her back, to look into her eyes, and cupped her cheek in his hand. "My love," he said, his voice cracking, "you're still with us."

"I came back," she whispered. "I'm... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." she trailed off, her eyes travelling to the girl at the foot of the bed.

"Elysa," Chrom said quickly, "I know this may come as a shock, but this is—"

"Lucina," she whispered. "Lucina, from another time. I know."

"Mother...!" Lucina, unable to restrain herself, crawled up onto the bed beside them, and threw her arms around the both of them.

Elysa murmured something inaudible, looking up at Tiki as tears began to make their way down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I'm so, so sorry." She turned to Lucina. "For... for everything I've done, in your future, for what I've become..."

" _You_ have done nothing," Lucina insisted, shaking her head furiously. " _You_ will not become the Fell Dragon. I came here so that wouldn't happen, and I won't let the Grima from my time take you."

"I promised you," Chrom lifted her left hand, covering the Mark of Grima with his hand, and turned her wedding band around so that the sigil of his house was visible. "I promised you, that no matter what the future holds, I will stand by your side. Through uncertainty, through war, through whatever darkness the coming days may bring."

"Chrom," Elysa bent her head to his chest. "Chrom, Lucina..." She clung to them both, letting her tears flow freely.

Tiki watched silently for a while before she spoke, hesitant to interrupt. "I am glad to see that you have made a full recovery," she nodded to Elysa. "I will take my leave now... I am needed elsewhere. But you will see me again soon, no doubt."

"Thank you," Chrom said earnestly. "Thank you for everything you've done, Tiki. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

Tiki smiled gently. "I am but an emissary," she said, shaking her head. "The Divine Dragon provides."

* * *

She cracked her eyes open and groaned, reaching for the wound in her stomach. To her surprise, she found nothing there – not even a scar. Her eyes opened fully, and she looked around.

All around her, a soft, golden light pulsed, like a beating heart. The outline of a figure emerged from the light, slowly coming into view and focus. Her red and rose robes floated ethereally around her frame, and her hair wafted by an otherworldly wind.

"Aversa," she said softly.

The woman on the ground curled her lip. "Oracle. What do you want from me? Where are we?"

"The realm between life and Death," Tiki intoned. She watched Aversa with an unreadable expression. "I've brought you back from the shadow."

"Why? Why not let the princess from the future end me, and be done with it?"

"Because you have a part to play yet. Elysa and Chrom need you."

"They _need_ me?" Aversa laughed bitterly. "Since when does anyone need me?"

"Your life has been clouded by Validar's influence," Tiki said. "See now, the truth of your youth..." She waved her hand, and Aversa felt something touch her forehead.

 _Suddenly, she was looking at a scene of a young girl, cowering in the corner of a kitchen. Validar's imposing figure was silhouetted by the light of the window, through which she could see the main streets of Plegia. He stood over two bodies, of a middle-aged man and woman, dressed in commoner's clothes, but with a Grimleal mantle thrown over their shoulders. "Worthless scum," Validar spat on the man's lifeless face, where blood trailed out of his open mouth._

 _The woman, barely alive, started dragging herself across the floor towards the young girl, reaching out to her. "Aversa," she groaned, "Aversa, run, please—"_

 _Validar pointed a finger at the woman's back, and a bolt of dark magic speared her to the ground. Her head fell to the kitchen floor, and she did not stir again. The little girl began to cry. Validar walked over the woman's body, and bent down over her._

" _I suppose you'll do."_

Aversa drew a sharp intake of breath as she was pulled out of the vision. "Some things are best left in the penumbra of the past, no?" She looked sharply up at Tiki.

"The truth of one's past is the key to knowing oneself," Tiki said. "You have always thought yourself to be bound to the darkness by destiny, but it was a life you were forced into."

"Validar told me he picked me up an orphan from some slum," Aversa hissed. "Made my life from nothing."

"He is the one who created nothingness out of everything you had," Tiki's tone was somber. "Your parents were planning on leaving the cult, but Validar would not let them go peacefully."

"The bastard," Aversa cursed. "So this is your game? Rescue my mangled corpse, rile me up, send me back to enact revenge?"

"Not revenge," Tiki shook her head. "Redemption."


	22. Destiny

Chrom's face was crossed with dueling emotions as he sat with his fingers curled around the arms of his chair. From his right, Elysa reached over and covered one of his tensed hands with her own, but kept her eyes on the woman seated across the table.

"You may leave," Elysa nodded to the guards, hovering nearby. They looked at one another uncertainly.

"Elysa..." One of Chrom's knuckles cracked.

"Lady Tiki brought her here. She wouldn't have done so without good reason."

"Even so, we—"

"Don't talk about me like I'm not sitting right here," Aversa muttered. She set her hands on the table with an audible slap. "I'm irked enough the dragon couldn't be bothered to stay and talk for me, I don't need to be treated like a prisoner of war."

"No one's treating you like a prisoner," Elysa said quietly. "But you must understand that the last terms we parted on were far from amicable."

"You're still alive," Aversa slid her eyes over to Elysa. "And I'm still alive. Both of us thanks to the _Divine_ Dragon of yours."

"I don't understand why she saved you," Chrom growled.

"Because we have a common enemy," Aversa said tiredly. "I won't bother trying to be diplomatic with you, prince, but I've been told that _she_ spoke with you—" she tipped a finger at Elysa, "—at length as well, in your dream-state."

"Her voice and Grima's were... often present, yes," Elysa replied uneasily. "What did Tiki show you?"

"The truth of my youth. I was 'adopted' through the slaughter of my parents. My upbringing was built on a lie."

"Easy to say, hard to believe," Chrom rested his chin in his hand.

"Let her continue," Elysa said.

Aversa narrowed her eyes. "I've lived my life under the Fell Dragon's shadow as if that darkness were the only sunlight there is to know in this world. I wasn't a rescued orphan, I was _orphaned_ by Validar."

Elysa studied her adoptive sister carefully. Her newly returned memories floated past...

Aversa was the older sibling. Many of Elysa's childhood memories were limited to time spent with her mother, but there were days when the Grimleal girl would visit her, or they'd steal out of camp to go on adventures in the nearby town or woods. Aversa was always doting – if not somewhat patronizing, but Elysa had no negative feelings associated with her times spent with Aversa. Her mother often warned her to stay away from Aversa, in her efforts to keep young Elysa from too much Grimleal influence... but Elysa couldn't remember Aversa fanaticizing about the Fell Dragon at all in their youth, unlike the other cultists, and their father.

"When was it that you came to believe... that 'Grima's truth, is the only truth?'" Elysa asked.

"When you left," Aversa's voice took on a guarded tone. "Validar told us all that your mother and Tharja were traitors and they'd stolen you from glory. And he told me that it was your destiny to save the world. This was around the time that the last Ylissean war was ending... Validar took me to see the ruin of the world, the filth of mankind — and he told me that Lord Grima could put an end to it all, bring about a world without such discord. It was easy to believe him when the only other people who I cared about had abandoned me so recently."

Elysa closed her eyes. There was an old sense of guilt in her heart, at leaving Aversa behind. She couldn't bring herself to hold anything against Aversa for living the life that she'd been put up to, especially when Elysa had been given a second chance at a different life herself. Grima's return, the reset of her memories, had brought her into a completely different world, severed from the taint of the Grimleal past.

Aversa never had that chance.

"And we're to believe that you've changed your mind now?" Chrom leaned forwards, interrupting her thoughts.

"It's not a matter of changing my mind," Aversa's lip curled. "It's a matter of everything I know losing its validity."

"We just lost our daughter, and had her redelivered from another time," Elysa ran her hand across Chrom's knuckles as she spoke. "Lucina is here as a result of her battle against the truth of her reality, and now we're all entangled in this twist of fate." She met Aversa's eyes. "It's a matter of you choosing what to believe in. You don't want to return to Grima's vision of a world reborn... so do you intend to aid us in saving it from him?"

"...Yes." Aversa folded her hands.

"You're with us; then we plan our next move." Elysa leaned on the table. Chrom looked at her sharply.

"We haven't even broached the topic of getting back in the fray yet," he said in a low voice, "because you've been recovering and—"

"Chrom," Elysa turned her to him, her expression somber and serious. "There isn't time. Validar still has the final gemstone. If we don't act now, Grima will grow too powerful to contend with."

"Validar and Grima will be headed to a place called the Dragons' Table, in Plegia." Aversa offered. "The Grimleal are gathered there in anticipation of the Fell Dragon's return... I was supposed to rendezvous with them there after retrieving you."

"Then that's what you'll do," Elysa said decisively. "Daisy is too injured to fly for a while, but you can take me on your pegasus. Chrom will bring the Shepherds by wing, like we did in the Valmese invasion, and follow behind."

"No way," Chrom shook his head. "I'm not leaving you alone with her."

"We can't risk Grima and Validar trying to flee, or setting up defenses preemptively," Elysa said firmly. "They'll be receptive to Aversa's return, and if I can play the part well enough... and you'll be able to catch them off-guard. You can be close behind — just give us a few minutes to get him comfortable."

Chrom was silent for a moment. "Elysa... you've never steered me wrong thus far. While Aversa may not have my vote of confidence, Tiki's wisdom is far beyond mine, and it's not my place to question her decision in bringing Aversa to us."

"You're doing it again," Aversa said irritably, "talking about me like I'm not here."

Elysa took her husband's hand. "The last few days have brought far more than any of us could have anticipated. Thank you for your faith in me. We'll weather this storm together." She looked at Aversa. "All of us."

* * *

 _She couldn't move, couldn't scream, she could only look as he fell to his knees, clutching at the blade of lightning in his chest. He looked at her with an expression of fear – not fear for himself, but for her._

" _This is not your – your fault..." Chrom's voice rasped in his throat. Even now, he would save her if he could. But she was beyond his help._

 _He took her hands in his, and she saw the traces of magic fading away, the streak of his lifeblood across Grima's Mark on her right hand. "Promise me..." he squeezed weakly, "Promise me— that you'll escape from this place... please..." His blue eyes slid shut, and he slumped to the floor._

As his hands slipped from hers, Elysa bolted upright, breathing heavily, the blankets clutched to her chest. She looked to the other side of the bed, where Chrom was lying on his side, his bare shoulder rising and falling evenly with his breath as he slept deeply. Elysa buried her face in her hands, shaking her head to chase the nightmare away.

Her breathing began to slow, but her heart still thudded heavily in her chest, almost maliciously. She slipped out of bed, her nightgown fluttering around her feet as they touched the cold floor, and started towards the window, intending to crack it open for a bit of fresh air.

She paused when she noticed a light coming from under Lucina's closed door, the distinctive flickering of lit candles. Curious, she walked over, her footsteps silent, and cracked the door open.

Lucina was seated on the bed with her legs drawn up beside her, turning a small wooden replica of Falchion over in her hands with a distant look on her face. The parallel reality's Falchion was resting in its sheath beside the foot of the bed, attached to her belt. Her cloak was still around her shoulders, and she had not changed out of her day-clothes. She looked up as the door moved.

"Mother?"

Elysa slipped in, closing the door behind her. "Can't sleep?"

Lucina set the wooden sword down in her lap. "I was walking in the gardens with Severa and Inigo... we were looking at the stars. And then I got caught up in memories, I suppose. You were asleep when I came back in, though – is everything alright?"

Elysa smiled at her daughter's concern. Lucina looked comfortable propped up against her pillows – the bed didn't dwarf her the way it had her younger self.

"Just a bad dream... I think."

Lucina's eyes clouded with worry. She patted the bed next to her. "Come, sit," she offered. Elysa obligingly went over, and perched at the edge of the bed. "Are you worried about tomorrow?"

"I'd be a fool not to," Elysa laughed. "And I'd be less worried if you didn't insist on coming along."

"I won't leave you and Father," Lucina shook her head. "Never again."

Elysa rubbed Lucina's knee fondly, not arguing the matter further. Then she stopped. "Lucina... what happened – tomorrow, in your time?"

She looked surprised. "Well — Aversa never came to Ylisse, in my time. But you want to know about... about when you and Father went to the Dragons' Table?"

Elysa nodded. Lucina looked down, fingering the edge of her blankets. "It's... difficult to talk about. But I suppose you deserve to know."

"After you and Father returned from the Valmese war, Validar extended an invitation to receive the final gemstone. Without many other options, as time drew short before Grima's arrival, you accepted his invitation, taking just a few of the Shepherds with you — Cordelia, Stahl, Virion, Sully, Frederick, and Sumia."

"Wait," Elysa's eyes widened. "Frederick and Sumia... they're alive? In your timeline?"

"Yes," Lucina looked puzzled. "Why wouldn't they be? ...oh. They died here, didn't they?"

"Sumia died protecting me," Elysa's expression grew pained. "But... I suppose that it's good to hear. It means that our timelines already differ in some ways — things may not turn out the same. Anyways... go on."

"I stayed behind," Lucina swallowed, "with Tharja. And we waited for you to come back... but only Cordelia and Frederick and Sumia returned... with Falchion."

Elysa felt sick. "What... what happened to Chrom?"

Lucina opened and closed her mouth without saying anything, and looked at Elysa with a troubled glance. She pressed her hands into her lap. "They said... they said that he died at your hands," she said quietly. "I couldn't believe it... I refused to believe it. But they said you weren't yourself – and that Grima overtook you, and—" she broke off in a sob, covering her mouth.

"Shhh," Elysa pulled her daughter close, stroking the back of her head. "You needn't say more." Lucina cried against Elysa's shoulder for a bit.

 _So it's as I feared._

"It was — it was so horrible," Lucina shook her head. "For the next twelve years, Grima grew in power. I was raised in Ylisstol, rarely leaving the capital for fear of my safety, and eventually I was crowned Exalt. I formed the New Shepherds; mostly the children of the original ones — Gerome, Severa, Owain, Inigo, Kjelle, Cynthia... Eventually, the day came when Grima was making his move. We were prepared to fight to the last – but then Lady Tiki approached us, and told us that there was still hope for Ylisse... if we abandoned our own world as we knew it, there was perhaps a chance we could save yours." She sniffled and looked up at Elysa, and squeezed her arms. "Only Severa, Owain, Inigo and I made it. So we came here, and the rest... the rest you already know."

Elysa held Lucina for a long silent moment, her heart heavy with dread. "Lucina... I don't know if I can promise you that I'll be able to resist Grima here," she said quietly.

Lucina shook her head violently. "No, I believe in you," she insisted. "Your bond with Father is very strong here. I think it'll be enough to ground you to us."

"Is that a risk you're willing to take?" Elysa asked quietly. "After all you've sacrificed, you'd bank it all on that chance?"

"What else are we to do?" Lucina bit her lip. She turned to the side and looked down, and Elysa looked at the Brand shining in her left eye. Elysa turned and looked at the blade lying at the foot of the bed.

She reached for it, feeling its weight in her hands, and drew a shaking breath. "We... we could end it here," she said, her voice cracking. "If you cut me down, then—"

"Mother, what— no!" Lucina jumped to her feet, stepping away from the bed in horror. "I can't – you can't ask that of me."

Elysa pulled Falchion from its sheath. "It's... it's the only way to make sure Chrom is safe," she whispered.

"Mother..."

"It's as you said, Lucina," Elysa turned the blade over, and it gleamed in the candlelight. "To save our world... sacrifices must be made." She stood as well, and approached her daughter. She placed the blade in Lucina's shaking hands.

"My life is yours," she said, with a sad smile. "It always has been... and I've always been willing to lay down my life for Chrom, and for you."

"Mother...!" Lucina's distress grew. But Elysa could see that her words were getting across to the girl, as conflict crossed her eyes. She squeezed them shut. "I... no!" Suddenly, she threw Falchion to the side, and it clattered across the floor loudly, steel ringing harshly against marble.

"Lucina?" The door flew open, and Chrom burst in, wide-eyed. "What's... what's going on? Are you alright?"

"I... I'm sorry, Mother, I can't—" tears began to flow down Lucina's cheeks. Chrom crossed the room, glancing briefly at the fallen sword, and drew Lucina into his arms. He looked to Elysa for an explanation.

She looked at Chrom with despair in her eyes. "I think... I think you're going to die tomorrow," she whispered. "And the only way to stop it is if you... if you kill me, here, tonight."

"What?" Chrom released his daughter and turned to Elysa, grabbing her firmly by the shoulders. "That's madness. Why would that—"

"Grima... Grima is too powerful," Elysa shook her head. "If he takes me over, there's nothing I can do to stop him from using me to kill you. Our world can't afford to be robbed of you... and perhaps – perhaps if you do it with Falchion, the divine blade, then he won't be able to bring me—"

"Hush," Chrom shook her, his fingers tightening painfully into her arms. "I won't hear another word of this. After all we've been through? Did you really think that I – or our daughter, for that matter – could kill you? We love you, Elysa... our family — our family is everything."

"I can't be the one that shatters it," Elysa's face crumpled with tears.

"Then you won't be," Chrom said firmly, tipping her chin up to meet her shimmering eyes. "We're not giving up on you, not now, not ever. Didn't we just talk about this? There's nothing you can say to change my mind."

"We're seeing it out to the end," Lucina added, balling her hands up into fists and wiping away her tears. "We'll be with you... there, tomorrow, at the Dragon's Table. And it _will_ be different this time."

Elysa felt the dread in her heart being pushed away, and she fell forwards, burying her head in Chrom's chest. She sobbed. "I'm — I'm so sorry," she sobbed. "That I asked you to do such a thing, Lucina, it's not fair, it's not—"

"There's nothing to forgive," Lucina came around and hugged her mother from the other side, sandwiching Elysa between herself and Chrom. "That future will crack and fall apart before our family bond ever does."

"Very well," Elysa said softly. "I pray that you're right."

* * *

The next morning came swiftly, and Elysa was roused by a gentle hand on her side.

"Elysa... it's time."

Her eyes opened slowly. She wanted nothing more than to stay there, in the sanctuary of their room, under the soft warm covers with the first light of day streaming through the windows. She rolled slowly over to look at Chrom.

He was smiling down at her softly, and he pulled her up slowly to a sitting position, planting a kiss on her forehead. "I love you," he said, his words weighted by conviction. "Don't forget that. No matter what happens – we are two halves of a greater whole, remember?" He placed a hand on her cheek and pulled her face up to kiss her on the lips.

Elysa kissed him softly, looking up at his deep blue eyes through her lashes. "I won't forget," she gave him a tiny nod. "I... I love you too. More than anything."

"Come on, then," Chrom slipped away from her and stood. "We have a world to save.

* * *

She donned her old clothes – the tactician's garb and her mother's cloak, and rode behind Aversa as they winged their way through the skies. She held on to the saddle with one hand, the other pulling her collar up to shield her face from the wind. Ahead, a looming temple came into view.

"Remember," Aversa said, raising her voice against the wind, "don't speak. If all had gone according to Validar's plan, the magic ought to have made you submissive, acquiescent and ready to become Grima's vessel. If you show your face, they'll see that you're still yourself. We need only a little time to interrupt the ritual with the Emblem, once we retrieve the gemstone."

"Right," Elysa affirmed. She looked up, where she could faintly see the shapes of the Shepherds on wing far above them, shielded by cloud cover.

"Elysa..." Aversa looked over her shoulder. "Thank you."

"Hm?"

"For... believing me, I suppose. In spite of everything."

She offered Aversa a smile. "When you were presented with the choice of what direction to take your life for the very first time, you chose a good path. I can't fault you for everything that came before you were given that freedom."

"Hmmm." Aversa's gaze lingered a moment longer, then she turned to face ahead. "Hood up. We're here."

The grey pegasus soared over the arches of a sprawling temple, where Elysa could see hundreds of figures clad in black robes ambling forwards, their heads and arms raised to the sky. They chanted incomprehensibly, drawn to an unseen force. _This must be all the Grimleal in Plegia,_ Elysa thought.

Much of the temple was crumbling to ruin, with missing pieces of ceiling baring the interior to the elements. But Aversa pressed onwards, to a main building that loomed above the rest that had seemed to withstand the trials of time. The massive doors were wide open, the heavy stone looking immovable against the tall pillars framing the entrance. The vaulted room within seemed to swallow up the light, holding a dusky atmosphere within the chamber. None of the Grimleal horde approached this far.

Aversa landed her pegasus at the top of the stairs, and marched it into the hall. Elysa gave her hood one final tug, the edge falling over her eyes, and let her hands rest limply in her lap, her body swaying with the pegasus's steady pace. Elysa saw the bottom half of Validar's figure, and the hem of her own robe on Grima in her form beside him.

"You kept us waiting, dear," Validar's voice was silk laced with venom.

"There were complications," Aversa said shortly, and Elysa felt her swing off the saddle. With surprising strength, Aversa pulled Elysa off after her, hefting the other woman onto her feet. "I've brought back your precious daughter."

 **"So you have,"** Elysa heard Grima speaking with her voice, and the dull sound of footsteps approaching on stone. A finger traced its way along Elysa's jawline, but didn't remove her hood. **"Well done. All that's left now is for her to claim the sacrifice, then she and I will become as one, and we can reclaim my full power."** The hand moved away, and Elysa saw the cloak billow out as the figure turned. **"I will diminish now. There is no need to retain this form... I entrust the rest to you, Validar."** In an eddy of black mist, the other Elysa vanished into the air.

"Yes, my Lord," Validar purred. "Aversa... if you would." Aversa waved her hand, and the dark barrier appeared around them.

He placed a hand on Elysa's back and guided her up the stairs to the altar. "My daughter... all your life has led to this moment. You are about to seal the fate of this world to the destiny of ruin that it deserves – you will _purify_ it through the purge of mankind." They stopped at the top of the stairs, and he put Elysa's back to the altar. With his figure silhouetted in the light coming from the doorway behind him, Elysa could make out a black gem swinging from a clasp pendant on Validar's neck.

 _Sable, the final Gemstone._

Through the haze of the dark barrier, Elysa saw movement from beyond the entrance. The Grimleal on guard started to shout a warning, but with a great cry, Minerva burst through the doors, snatching the nearest guard in her jaws. A blast of ice followed as Nowi swept in, and Cordelia was close behind on her pegasus, Chrom swinging off from behind her as they landed.

"Validar!"

The dark mage turned, a sneer on his face. "Chrom... come to witness the culmination of your failures? You're too late — Elysa is lost to you, and the Dragon's Table is set for a feast. And I see you've even brought the Fire Emblem with you. The Awakening rite is not just for exalts and Naga, you know... with it, Grima's power will be _absolute._ " Validar turned back to Elysa, caressing her face with long, bony fingers. "See how weak and pathetic humans are... your 'bonds' with them shackle you. You are destined for a greater purpose — the _greatest_ purpose! You are to be a GOD!"

From the corner of her vision, she saw Aversa lift her hand, and the dark barrier wavered. Time slowed down for a moment, and Elysa allowed herself a single breath before she snapped into motion, reaching up and ripping Sable from around Validar's neck. He let go of her in surprise. Before he could react, she pulled the gemstone from its clasp and threw it over his shoulder. It flew across the chamber, drawn to the Emblem, and slipped into the final slot with an audible click. Elysa's hood fell off, pooling around her shoulders. She met Validar's shocked face with eyes of steel.

"Not your god — not today."


	23. The Breath of Ruin

Validar's face twisted with fury. "Wretch... you're making this _much_ harder than it need be."

His long fingers hooked around Elysa's neck, and shoved her roughly backwards, painfully bending her over the altar. She instinctively pried at the hand choking her, but Validar grabbed her by the right wrist, and slammed the back of her hand, bearing the Mark, into the altar. Searing pain lanced up her arm, and the world around her throbbed black and red.

Validar smiled cruelly, and just as Aversa flew over the altar, he dissipated into black mist, teleporting across the room as Aversa's spear buried itself beside Elysa where he had just stood.

Aversa pulled her sister upright by the collar. "Keep it together... stay with us," she hissed. Elysa trembled.

* * *

Chrom saw Elysa sinking to her knees by the altar, and Aversa stood over her, facing outwards to protect her sister from anyone who dared to approach. He gritted his teeth — loathe as he was to trust Aversa, it was his only option. A Grimleal with an axe was coming at him from the right, and he brought Falchion up to swing a parry. Sparks flew as the axe caught on his blade, and the Grimleal growled in Chrom's face. He heard another battlecry from over the Grimleal's shoulder, and then the parallel Falchion appeared through the Grimleal's chest. Lucina pulled her sword free, blood dripping from the Grimleal's wound. He fell to his knees and slumped to the floor. She gave her father a brief nod, before turning to engage the others who had rushed into the room.

Where Validar had reappeared, a dark vortex of magic was spiraling out across the room. He flung a dark spear at the Shepherds. Kellam raised his shield to block it, but it passed right through, embedding itself in the knight's shoulder. Cherche whipped around, turning her attention to the dark mage, and Minerva roared a challenge. Validar lifted his hand, and the flux of magic swirled around the wyvern, trapping it in a vortex of the dark barrier.

"Validar...!" Chrom charged the Grimleal leader, swinging Falchion in a wide arc as he drew near. Sparks and shadows flew from Validar's hands as he dodged and ducked under Chrom's attacks. His own offensive spells of dark magic left smoldering marks on the ground, just inches behind where Chrom had stood. Validar gritted his teeth as Chrom's swings grew closer and closer. He and leapt away, channeling his magic into one large burst, which blew Chrom backwards across the room and into a pillar with enough force for it to crumble slightly.

He gasped, the wind knocked out of his chest, and struggled to his feet, using his blade as a crutch. Validar laughed, and Chrom looked up through blurred vision to see a dark orb of magic flying directly at him. There was no time to leap out of the way.

Then light exploded before him as the spell was countered by a ball of red lightning, sending fireworks across the room. Chrom looked to the altar, and he saw Elysa struggling to her feet. Her extended hand still sparked with the remnants of her _arcthunder._ Seeing his daughter stand up, Validar scowled, and disappeared again, to hover above them all close to the ceiling.

More dark spears rained down on them. Cordelia screamed as her pegasus was struck through the wing. Aversa narrowly managed to pull Elysa to the side in time. Chrom's eyes widened as he saw one hurtling towards him, and instinctively lifted the Emblem to shield himself, even though he had seen the incorporeal effect the spear at Kellam had.

But the spear shattered into flecks of darkness as soon as it touched the Emblem. The Gemstones gleamed with an ethereal light. Chrom looked at it in wonder, as Validar howled indignantly. "Wretched son of Naga—!"

" _THORON!"_

A massive bolt of lightning shot up into the air. Validar opened another teleportation circle to dodge it, but it followed him through, blasting him into the far wall. Elysa stood in the center of the room, away from the altar, her arm trembling as dark magic wove its way between the glow from her lightning spell and up her arm.

Validar fell to his knees, and slumped to the ground. Chrom scrambled to his feet, and ran to his wife. "Elysa!"

A dark pulse emanated around her, and she looked up at him, the air around her rippling with power. "Don't... come near," she hissed.

* * *

She could see him through a red haze. Her heartbeat was impossibly loud in her ears, and she could feel a dark, immense power rising up within her.

Unsurprisingly, Chrom didn't heed her warning. He didn't stop his approach, coming within arm's reach of her in the next few seconds. As soon as he drew near, the dark barrier reappeared, slicing through the air around them and isolating them from the rest of the room. He barely paid it attention.

 _Did I do that...?_ Elysa looked around at the force-field, feeling Grima's presence battling with her mind.

 _ **Submit, child.**_

He reached her, and grabbed her by the shoulder. She looked up at him, and he saw her eyes shifting back and forth from their usual warm grey to a deep, sanguine red. "C-Chrom," Elysa whimpered. In the next moment, he was met with Grima's dark grin.

" **Fool."**

A blade of red, dark magic sprang to life in Elysa's hand. She looked down at it in horror, fighting back with everything she had. Her arm shook violently, and she gritted her teeth. "Chrom, _please—_ "

"Elysa," he grabbed her by the chin, turning her face to look at him. His wife's eyes surfaced, wide and filled with fear. "I'm not leaving you to him. I'm with you, to the end. I will _never_ give up on you." Dimly, in the distance, he heard Lucina screaming for him.

She felt the Mark burning on her hand. It was like a dark fire spreading through her veins, searing its way towards her heart. It was an evil poison, and she didn't know what would happen when it found its target. Her hand started moving towards Chrom, the blade gleaming wickedly.

He saw her struggling, and grabbed her wrist, the blade inches from his chest. There was strength beyond her small frame in her resistance, and her head was bowed, her hair obscuring her face. He pulled her closer to him, tipped her chin up, and sealed his lips over hers. "Don't stop fighting," he whispered.

His lips brushed hers as he spoke, and she felt herself falling apart, the strength of her emotion waging war against Grima's rising influence. Tears ran down her cheeks, but then she felt the darkness seep into her heart. Her hand ripped free of Chrom's grasp.

As she tore away from him, eyes burning with dark fire, Chrom heard her utter an unearthly growl. The she lunged forwards, the blade aimed at his heart. In the last moment, she looked up at him, and he saw her soft, familiar gaze connect with his for a split second. Then the world exploded around him, and he lost consciousness.

Elysa stood over him as he crumpled to the ground. Remnants of the shattered blade floated down around her. The memory of the same blade piercing Chrom's chest, from another time, flew past her eyes – but when she looked down, she saw that this fate had changed. He was unconscious, but alive.

 _ **Your will is strong.**_ Grima sounded almost appreciative. _**But not strong enough.**_

Her vision was filled with red, and the last thing she felt before she hit the floor was immeasurable pain in every corner of her being.

* * *

As Elysa fell, the dark barrier disappeared around them. Lucina saw her parents crumpled on the ground, and she screamed. " _No!"_

The room was filled with Validar's dark laughter. He materialized again, beside Chrom and Elysa, and bent down, pulling the Fire Emblem from Chrom's fallen body. Lucina and the Shepherds looked on in frozen terror. The aura around the gemstones darkened, and the weight of the air seemed to press down around them.

"You may have succeeded in altering the course of history... but not its destination." Validar ascended the steps to the altar, and set the Emblem down on the pulsing black stone.

Lucina clenched her jaw, fighting back the surge of despair in her heart. Her grip tightened around the parallel Falchion, and she sprang forwards. "You haven't won yet... I'll say when it ends!"

She hadn't made it more than a few feet when she was lurched backwards violently. Spinning around wildly, she saw Aversa dragging her backwards by the hem of her cloak. "What are you doing?"

Aversa yanked on Lucina's cloak, pulling their faces close together. "Saving your life. Don't throw it away so recklessly, princess. Your people will need you."

Lucina fought against her, trying to tear away. "My _parents_ need me, now," she pleaded.

"There's nothing you can do now," Aversa said harshly. With surprising strength, she threw Lucina backwards, where Severa caught her. The red-haired girl held her friend tightly, her expression grim.

"She's right, Luci. If you do something reckless now, we're lost without you."

Falchion slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor. The sound felt distant and muffled. Lucina saw Inigo bending to pick up her blade, and she wrapped her hand around Severa's tightly. _It's happening again. We're already lost._

Validar watched them with cruel amusement, then glanced at Elysa before placing his hands on the altar. "Master Grima... I offer you this sacrifice that you might come into this world again. Bring about a new era for mankind... purge this world of all that is unworthy – your vessel awaits!"

An unholy, cumulative cry sounded from the distance, all around them, as the gathered Grimleal fell where they stood. Their souls surged into the temple, coalescing into a dark sphere above the altar. As the shadows gathered in the room, Elysa slowly rose to her feet.

* * *

Chrom cracked his eyes open.

He saw Elysa stirring beside him, and then the hem of her cloak drifting around her feet as she stood and walked past him. His vision was slightly blurry, and his body ached terribly... but he was alive. And seemingly unharmed.

"Elysa..." his voice was soft, too quiet and hoarse for her to possibly hear him. He rolled over, and his eyes widened in terror as he saw her ascending the steps to the altar, and the nebula of darkness that awaited her.

Falchion was laying on the ground beside him. He gathered his strength, reaching for the blade. When his fingers curled around its hilt, he felt a divine presence within him, a distant, slumbering power that reached out for him. He staggered to his feet, and leapt up towards the altar.

* * *

Elysa felt her body moving against her will. She felt drained, empty, hollowed out. The dark shadow above the altar seemed like the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen – she wanted to touch it, to caress it, to surround herself in it. A dark voice murmured in the back of her mind. She couldn't make out exactly what it was saying, but it didn't matter. It was always there. It was a part of her, and she a part of it. This was the world as it should be.

She climbed the last step, and stood before the altar. Validar smiled at her, and she looked at him, curiously.

" **You have done well, my servant."** Her lips moved, but she didn't recognize her voice.

Validar bowed deeply. "Master Grima... it has always been my destiny to see to your—"

His eyes widened and his voice was cut off in a choking cry as he was knocked forwards, pinned to the altar by a gleaming blade. Chrom stood over Validar's body, wrenching Falchion out from his back and kicking the dying Grimleal to the side.

Elysa felt the world clear for a moment, and time stood still once more. She looked at Chrom, at the shadow that awaited her, and at the table before her. _**Your time is up, child,**_ Grima snarled in her mind.

 _That's alright..._ she thought. _This will be enough._

Elysa looked up at Chrom, and he saw her smile before the shadow flew towards her, obscuring their view of one another. In the moment before it overtook her, Elysa reached forwards and wrapped her hands around the Fire Emblem. It burned her with searing, crippling pain, but she gripped it with all her strength. With the power that surged into her, she let out a burst of energy, shattering the altar, shoving Chrom out of the way, and sending the Emblem flying across the room before the ceiling exploded and the world disappeared around her.

* * *

 _ **I am the wings of despair. I am the breath of ruin.**_

 _ **I am the Fell Dragon, Grima.**_

The clouds gathered into a hellish vortex, the sun disappearing perforce behind the gloom. Daylight succumbed to a dark lambency, as if the world let out a deep exhale.

From the miasma the dark wings unfurled, one pair at a time, like the fronds of a blooming gorse. Six feathered sails stretched across the sky, illuminated by lightning behind the cloud cover, as the tail whipped through the air. The wings beat in unison, and the clouds flew off as if they were wisps of dust.

The dragon's glowing eyes regarded the world below for the first time in millennia. Across the land, every man, woman, and child felt His piercing gaze, His dominating presence. His horns, white as bare bone, accentuated the darkness that encompassed the dragon's being, and even the heavens seemed to shake when He parted his jaws.

His roar heralded the arrival of the end.

* * *

Chrom rolled stiffly onto his back. He looked up at the calamity in the sky, the ruin that was once the Dragon's table drifting in dust and smoke around him. The image of Elysa's last smile flashed before him, and he shut his eyes, hoping the nightmare would end.

"Father!"

He coughed as Lucina's boots kicked up the dust around him, and she crouched by his side. "Father... you're alive!"

"Elysa saved me," he said hoarsely, sitting up. "She held her magic back... And now we have to save her."

Lucina bowed her head. "Father... it's too late. It's over. Grima has returned; I've failed."

A gleam of light to the side, brightened by the reflection of the motes in the air, caught their attention. "No, princess... it's not over yet." The familiar voice floated towards them. Tiki lifted her hand, and the dust swirled away, clearing their view. Chrom saw the Shepherds picking themselves up, scattered about.

And before him, half-buried in the rubble, the Fire Emblem gleamed defiantly.


	24. Awakening

Tiki stooped down gracefully, pulling the Emblem free from the debris. The dust and bits of stone slid off its golden surface like water, and in the divine oracle's hands, the Gemstones seemed to breathe with an otherworldly aura.

Chrom felt Tiki's delicate hands on his as she passed the shield to him, placing it firmly in his palms.

"I'm sorry... that your bond was not enough to fend off the darkness."

Chrom shook his head. "She's not lost to us yet. We can still fight – and we haven't lost until we stop fighting."

"...Indeed." Tiki looked up at the silhouette of the Fell Dragon in the sky, as it turned away from the Dragon's Table and headed west. "Grima has not yet caught on to our possession of the Shield of Flames. If you make haste... perhaps you will be able to complete the Awakening rite in time."

"I've heard that the first Exalt paid tribute to Naga at a place called Mount Prism," Cordelia murmured. "But I've never seen or been to such a place before."

"I can take you there," Tiki said, "but you must be prepared for what awaits you – to receive Naga's power, you must first stand before her flames."

"What happens if he can't withstand it?" Lucina asked quietly.

Tiki's gaze turned to the princess. "Then Chrom will die."

Lucina shook her head. "We can't let you take that risk, Father – if one of us has to, it should be me. The people need you more than they—"

"Luci," Chrom held the Emblem under one arm, and pulled his daughter to him with the other. "I need you to have faith in me. It _has_ to be me... while I have utmost faith that you are pure enough of heart, we don't know how Elysa's – _Grima's_ – bloodline could affect you during the ritual. And... your mother put herself at the mercy of the Fell Dragon for our sakes; it's my duty to do the same before Naga."

"Father..." Lucina bit her lip, not unlike how Elysa would often do. Chrom felt his heart ache.

"Even if hope may be shrinking, some hope is better than none," Cordelia nodded firmly.

"Right." Chrom tightened his grip around the Emblem and his daughter. "Then let's go."

Tiki opened her palms, and they were surrounded by a flux of bright lights, until the ruins of the Dragon's Table faded away around them.

* * *

The sheets were soft around her bare legs, the pillow under her cheek plush and fresh. She stirred slightly, and a lock of her hair fell across her face, tickling her nose. She stifled a tiny sneeze, cracking her eyes open as she brushed her hair aside. Even through the drawn shades, the harsh light from outside gave the room a dim glow. Beside her, the bed was empty, although Chrom's familiar scent lingered on the sheets. She sat up, pulling the blankets off of herself slowly, and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Her bare feet touched the floor, and though the sensation should have been familiar, the cold marble tiles sent a strange shock throughout her body.

Elysa blinked. _Where's Chrom? Am I late for something?_

She shook herself, trying to shed the dissociated feeling, and crossed to her dresser, where her clothes and cloak were laid out. She fingered the edge of the shirt. It had been a while since she wore these old garments. Perhaps her normal garb had been taken to the wash? The rough-spun fabric felt odd against her skin. Elysa smiled wryly. Palace life had spoiled her, it seemed. She picked up her cloak and crossed the room to stand in front of the full-length mirror.

When she threw her mother's old garment over her shoulders, a chill washed across the room. Her heart clenched, and her fingers locked up on the rope tie across the collar.

In the mirror, her reflection moved without her. The eyes slowly lifted to meet hers, and she saw them slowly turn a deep red, glowing from within. The figure smiled, and lifted its hands. Three pairs of dark, feathered wings fanned out from its back.

Elysa turned her head in horror, half-expecting to see the wings sprouting over her shoulder. Instead, she saw that her palace chambers were disappearing, turning to black dust and falling away into an endless abyss. When she turned back, the mirror was gone but the figure was still there, leering at her.

" **We are one now... your former life fades away in the wake of destiny."**

Elysa felt despair welling up within her. She reached out her hand towards the figure, but saw that her form had faded, turning misty and translucent. She was gripped by fear, as the darkness seemed to swell around them.

"Where... where are we?" she whispered hoarsely.

Grima beckoned, and Elysa felt herself pulled along as the figure started walking. The absence of light slipped away, like a veil being pulled from the world, and Elysa saw that they were atop the Fell Dragon's head, at the apex between his horns. The wind whipped past as his six wings scattered the clouds, and in the distance, the Ylissean and Plegian continent faded towards the horizon.

" **Is it not a grand sight? The world, so far below... so** _ **small**_ **beneath our wings."**

"I thought you've come to conquer it. Why do you flee?" Elysa moved closer to the edge of the dragon's head, and found that she was floating in the air, suspended by some invisible force and tethered from falling. Miles below, the sea was dark and tumultuous.

" **Flee?"** Grima laughed, both the dark manifestation of Elysa's voice and an ancient rumble from another age. **"No, my dear... the world will bend before us yet. We are going to a place lost in time, the stage upon which we will regain our full strength, so that we may crush the filth that is mankind in one fell move."**

"Full strength..." Elysa narrowed her eyes, turning back towards her mirror image. "I thought all you needed was me, and the sacrifice at the Dragon's Table."

" **I have slept for a thousand years, child. Awakening from such a slumber is not so simple. But the end has already begun."**

Elysa looked bleakly ahead, and an island began to rise in the distance, out of the sea. The black cone shed water off of its sloped sides, and a glow began to emanate from the apex. She remembered the Demon's Ingle. "A volcano?"

Grima nodded. **"It is called Origin Peak... where we were first born."**

The Fell Dragon flew over the crater below, and Elysa saw that the glow was not from molten rock, but a pulsing anomaly of dark energy. It began to rise and surround them, and the dragon came to a stop, its wings treading the air to hover in place.

Grima's human form sat down contentedly, leaning against one of the ridges on the dragon's head. She beckoned, and Elysa felt herself dragged forwards again. **"Now, my dear... is there anything you'd like from me, while we wait? After all, you are the chosen one; the only worthy vessel in thousands of years of careful, selective breeding."**

Elysa's stomach turned at the word _breeding_. She remembered Tharja's story of her mother, and felt a wave of revulsion. "There's nothing I could ask of you that you'd return without some evil twist to it. So many dear to me have died... and so many more will."

" **Hmm."** The red eyes closed briefly. **"I cannot give you the lives of your loved ones, nor can I promise to withhold Death from those who have yet to come. Your exalt and your daughter will doubtlessly come to make one final stand... and it is inevitable that they shall suffer defeat at our hands."**

"They'll crush you," Elysa said. "They have to."

Grima laughed again. **"Your naïveté amuses me. You have much to learn about what it means to be a god."**

Elysa remembered her bold declaration to Validar at the Dragons' Table: _not your god — not today._ She had failed them all. The only thing she could hope for now was that Chrom would be able to muster the power to defeat Grima; she no longer hoped to be saved. There was no redemption left for her.

* * *

"It's so beautiful," Lucina breathed, staring up at the gentle slope before them.

"The Divine Dragon's power flows through every blade of grass here," Tiki said, tipping her head into the gentle breeze. "Come – we must make haste to the altar."

Chrom felt Lucina slip her hand into his. He looked down at her and she clung to his arm, as she did as a young child. "Father..."

He stroked his daughter's hair gently, and adjusted her tiara. "It'll be alright, Lucina. Come on, let's go."

They made their way up the mountainside, the path lined with plush grass and glimmering stones. A trickle of water was visible here and there, indicative of a stream of the purest spring flowing somewhere underground. The air was clear and fresh, as far as could be from the oppressive miasma at the Dragons' Table.

Soon, the slope began to even out, and they reached the top of the mountain. At the center of an open field, a white altar surrounded by pillars of marble glowed with a divine aura.

Chrom squeezed Lucina's hand before releasing it. "Wait here... I'll be back."

"Father, let me—"

"He must stand before Naga alone," Tiki placed a hand on Lucina's shoulder.

"But..."

Severa and Inigo walked beside the princess, and each took one of her hands in both of their own. "Lu, he'll be alright," Inigo murmured softly. "We all have to believe in him."

Chrom drew the Emblem from beneath his cloak, and walked slowly across the grass towards the altar. He felt the vitality in the space around him grow and grow until his feet touched the white stone; when he drew a deep breath, he felt the power of eternity tingle through his veins. He set the Shield of Flames on the altar and drew Falchion from its sheath.

"Hear me, Naga," he enunciated, "I bear proof of our sacred covenant. In the name of the exalted blood of my ancestors, I ask for the divine dragon's power — baptize me in fire, that I may become your true son!"

Mount Prism disappeared around him in a blinding flash. Chrom lifted his hand to shield his eyes, and when he cracked them open, he drew an involuntary gasp at the wonder before him.

His feet were no longer on solid ground, but he was suspended in space, surrounded by a thousand stars and the lights of the universe. Before him was the shimmering outline of a beautiful woman, with long green hair, flowing past her waist and around her white robes. Her headpiece was similar to Tiki's, but her eyes were filled with the wisdom and serenity of thousands of years.

Before Chrom could speak, the woman pressed her palms together, and the massive head of a divine dragon appeared above her. Naga opened her jaws, and a stream of white fire descended onto him. It burned into the very core of his being, reaching the deepest recesses of his soul.

"Hrr... agh—!" He gritted his teeth against the pain, riding out the sensation. He focused his mind on the image of the memories of his loved ones, and they came to life before his eyes, dancing in the fire — _Elysa in her white dress, Lucina in her crib... Lissa and Emmeryn in their childhood, running through the palace_ — and then as soon as it had manifested, the fire disappeared, and he was standing at the altar once more.

" _Father!"_ Lucina shouted out to him.

Chrom leaned heavily against the altar, Falchion clattering loudly against the stone. "I'm... I'm alright," he managed.

" **Be welcome, Awakener."**

He looked up, and Naga stepped into view before him, still cloaked in stars.

"My... my Lady," Chrom dropped to his knees, bending his head before her.

" **Rise, my child... you have been tested and deemed worthy. Cleansed by my fire, your will and desire has proven to burn all the stronger."**

"Then... you will grant me your power? The power to defeat Grima?"

" **Yes."** Naga nodded serenely. **"But know this... I am no god."**

"But — milady, you are the Divine Dragon," Chrom's eyes widened.

" **So do the sons of man name me,"** Naga seemed to laugh, her eyes twinkling. **"But I am no creator. I do not possess the powers of making or unmaking... and neither does Grima. Neither of us can destroy the other entirely."**

"Then what power can you grant me?" Worry knotted Chrom's chest.

" **With my blessing, you shall draw forth Falchion's true might. The blade of the exalts shall once again strike like the dragon's fang... Your strength will then be my equal."**

"...But still not strong enough to defeat Grima."

" **Alas, he cannot be slain."** Naga shook her head, and the starlight shimmered around her. **"Sleep will be your victory, should you succeed — as your ancestors sealed Grima many millennia ago. Strike the final blow at the weak spot behind his neck, and my power shall bind his."**

"Is there truly no way to defeat him for good?" Chrom looked down at Falchion, as the blade began to glow. The center of the empty circle in its hilt was filled with blue-white light, flickering like Naga's fire.

Naga closed her eyes. **"There is, perchance, a power that could defeat Grima — but it would be his own. But he would never kill himself of his own volition. He seeks only to add to his power, and set ruin upon the world."** Before Chrom could say more, she beckoned to his allies, calling them to the altar. **"Now come; there is little time..."**

"Father," Lucina ran up to his side, and wrapped her arms around him. "You've done it..."

"Yes," he nodded. "We can win. We'll bring Elysa back, and send the Fell Dragon into the darkness he deserves."

" **I can send you atop the Fell Dragon, but the rest will be in your hands,"** Naga regarded them each with her green, otherworldly gaze. In the distance, a harsh roar shook the air.

"What was that?" Cordelia gripped her lance more tightly.

"The dragon's call," Lucina shivered. "I remember it well..."

Aversa hissed. "He knows that the Awakening is complete." She looked down the side of the mountain, as haggard forms began to appear out of dark portals. "The Risen have found us... we have to hurry."

Lucina looked at her doubtfully. "You sound almost genuine."

Aversa stared the princess down. She sneered. "What is there in this cold world to hope for at the end of all things, except the that which you love? The only worthy modicum left in this world for me is the glimmer of hope for family. I have _always_ cared for Elysa — and if she is truly lost, the rest of the world goes with her."

Chrom grabbed Lucina's arm. "Have faith."

Lucina hesitated, but clenched her fists. She grabbed the Emblem off of the altar, and shoved it into Chrom's hands. "Okay. Let's go."

* * *

The air trembled before the Fell Dragon's roar. Grima growled, both the human and dragon. **"They think they have a chance now... fools."**

Elysa clutched her hands to her chest. Grima sneered at her with her own eyes. **"Begone for now. I will not invest my strength in keeping your shade present while we do battle."** She waved her hand dismissively, and the world darkened around Elysa. She could still see the dim outline of her clone and the world around them, but she could no longer move, trapped in some pocket of a parallel world.

Far away, between the second pair of wings, a swirl of light appeared, and she saw familiar figures stepping out onto the dragon's back.

Chrom's voice echoed through the air, muffled through the veil.

"I've come to end you, Grima!"

" **Arrogant mortal... I AM THE END!"**


	25. Requiem: Invisible Ties

Risen began to emerge along the ridges of the dragon's back, clawing their way out from between the black scales. Their red eyes glowed brighter than any the Shepherds had seen before, and their very presence reeked of dark magic.

"Be ready," Cordelia leveled her lance. Her pegasus pawed at the ground uncertainly. One of its white wings still hung limply at its side, injured from the fight at the Dragons' Table.

"I was _born_ ready," Sully grinned and kicked her horse. Virion lurched violently in the saddle behind her, almost losing his grip on his bow as the cavalier charged into battle towards the nearest Risen.

The tension in the air grew, and Chrom felt a chill in his heart. "Wait!" He called out, lifting his arm to hold the other Shepherds back. "Something's not right; hold on—"

The sky above them split open with a deafening crack, and a pulse of sheer, infernal power burst forth. The Fire Emblem flashed with light, and Tiki raised her arms, a shimmering barrier materializing around them. But ahead, outside the barrier, Sully's horse reared in fright.

Virion turned back to look at Cherche, his eyes wide with horror. " _My lord!"_ the wyvern knight screamed. Minerva bared her fangs, prepared to leap forwards.

"No, Cherche!" Kellam grabbed onto Minerva's tail. The wyvern roared at him in protest. Then the dark energy struck, shaking the divine barrier and encasing them in a veil of shadow.

As it cleared, Chrom could see Sully, Virion, and the white horse wrapped in a sickening miasma, the shadows drifting in and out of their bodies, distorting their shapes. Sully looked down at her hands in confusion, and turned to meet Chrom's horrified eyes, before she and the other two evaporated into black dust.

"What is this power?" Lucina's eyes were wide with fear. "He is even stronger than he was in my time..."

Chrom stared at the place where the white horse had been a moment ago in stunned silence.

"Milord," Aversa's husky voice sounded near his shoulder. She pointed towards the dragon's head. "He has expended much of his strength... it will take him a while to regain it. We must strike now."

"Yes... right," Chrom drew a shaking breath. "Shepherds... with me!" He raised Falchion in the air, the blade glowing with its awakened power, and charged forwards.

At the dragon's head, Grima's human form tipped her head back and exhaled deeply. She closed her eyes, and her shape began to disappear into a dark vortex.

" **While we step back a bit... shall we give them some** _ **special**_ **playmates?"**

Three distinct shadows appeared amongst the Risen. A warhorse reared, its spectral plate armor clattering as it phased into physical existence. A pegasus tossed its head as the shadows slipped from its feathers. A woman rose slowly to her feet, her characteristic smirk slowly spreading across her face as her dark robes swirled around her.

She cupped her hands around her mouth, and raised her voice above the wind:

"Lucina...! Come and give your Aunty Tharja a kiss."

* * *

"How...?" Elysa watched in horror as the shades of her deceased companions began to advance on the Shepherds.

Grima's voice came from the darkness around her. **"I told you before, child... Death is no barrier to me."**

* * *

"...Frederick," Chrom felt the old pain from the loss of his long-time friend rise in his chest. "Don't you recognize me?"

The knight laughed, swinging his greataxe in hand. "Of course, my liege; how could I not?" He made a sudden charge, and Chrom felt the axe graze his cheek as he narrowly dodged out of the way. "...But I serve a different Lord now."

* * *

"Cordy," the pegasus knight crooned, tipping her head to the side, "did you miss me?"

"Come no closer," Cordelia leveled her lance. "I... I can't harm you, Sumia."

"Oh, good," she smiled sweetly, and then she lunged forwards, sinking her lance into Cordelia's mount. The pegasus shrieked in pain. Sumia looked up at Cordelia, and her hazel eyes gleamed, with a dark inner glow. "Then you'll make this easy for me."

* * *

"Please, stop this," Elysa saw the Shepherds hesitating as the familiar faces engaged them in battle. "It's too cruel..."

" _ **Too**_ **cruel? My dear, we must do what is necessary. We cannot allow them to hinder our success. You need not watch, if it displeases you... Now, I must gather my strength to strike once more."**

She felt Grima's presence fade away slightly, and an overwhelming sense of loneliness swept over her. Before her, the fight was clearly not in the Shepherds' favor, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. She fell to her knees.

"M-mother?"

A quiet, echoing voice sounded behind her, and she turned around, stumbling over her cloak. Out of the darkness, a young boy stepped into view – no more than thirteen or fourteen. He was wrapped in the same cloak Elysa wore, and held a small black grimoire in his hands.

Elysa stared into his grey eyes. "Who... are you?"

The boy looked at her in dismay. "You – you don't recognize me?" his voice cracked with hurt. "It's me, Morgan."

"Morgan?"

He walked up to her and stared up at her face pensively. "You look... younger, Mother. Perhaps the air here agrees with you? Or perhaps... have I not been born yet, in this time?"

 _Not been born yet..._ Elysa's eyes widened in realization. "You're my son," she whispered. Morgan smiled as he nodded, and threw his arms around her.

"Yes...! I'm so glad to see you again, Mother."

Elysa ran a hand along the boy's blue hair, so much like Chrom's. "But, why would Lucina not say anything about you...? I – I can only guess that you're from her time as well."

Morgan turned his head to the side, looking away. "She... wouldn't want to see me."

"Wouldn't want to see you?" Elysa echoed, her brow furrowing. "But you're her brother, aren't you?"

"Yes, but..." Morgan looked down at the grimoire in his hands. "After you sided with Grima, I... I chose to stay with you. I couldn't – I couldn't leave your side," he sniffled. "I couldn't fight you, so I abandoned the others. But I don't think I truly made it when I traveled through time with Grima... I'm just – some sort of shadow."

 _Death is no barrier to me._ Grima's words rang in her mind. "He's lying..." she realized, and looked back at Sumia, Frederick, and Tharja. "Shadows, facsimiles — he doesn't truly have the power to recreate life."

"Yeah." Morgan wiped his nose on his sleeve. "But it's okay — even if I'm not really _alive,_ I still got to come along. I just... I just wish things could be better. I didn't realize that this timeline would still have Father in it... but it's too late to change sides now, I think."

"It's never too late to choose your path," Elysa tipped the boy's chin up.

"But Grima won again," Morgan said. " _You're_ here, and _he's_ here, and—"

"And Chrom is here," Elysa pointed through the veil. "He's alive, and he's still fighting. This path is not yet sealed in stone... have faith."

"What can we do, though?"

Elysa straightened up, a familiar resolve beginning to reemerge. "...The answers will come to me. They always do — I'm not a tactician for nothing, you know."

* * *

Lucina's fury burned bright. Her lip curled over her teeth as Tharja stepped towards her.

"You will not fool me, Fell Dragon," she raised her voice. "I know your power well — and your false images shall not sway my heart." She saw Chrom look over his shoulder at her, and she nodded at him. _Stay strong,_ she pleaded.

Tharja laughed. "You're too cruel, Luci... did we really bring you up like that?" The dark mage lifted her hand, and a tendril of dark magic shot out from her palm, coiling itself around Lucina and squeezing her painfully.

"...rrgh!" Lucina twisted violently, slicing through the spell with Falchion. Before Tharja could make another move, Lucina lunged forwards, faster than the blink of an eye, and drove her blade through Tharja's chest, pinning her to the dragon's back. They locked eyes.

"Don't misunderstand me," Lucina whispered, "I loved Tharja with all my heart – but you are not her."

She twisted her blade, and the body turned to dust. Her hand trembled slightly as the wisps floated away on the wind, but she gritted her teeth, steeling herself, and turned to help her father.

* * *

Cordelia tumbled from her pegasus' back as the beast toppled. Stahl galloped forwards, parrying the next spear-strike as Sumia made a lunge for the fallen knight. Cordelia looked at her pegasus, as it writhed and flailed its wings, before falling still.

"Mom, get the _hell_ up!" A pair of arms hooked under Cordelia's shoulders from behind, hauling her to her feet. Her lance slipped from her hands.

Severa snatched it up and shoved it back at Cordelia roughly. "I'm _not_ going to lose you again. Pull it together."

"I..." Cordelia looked up at Sumia and Stahl as they fought. Stahl was clearly at a disadvantage, his opponent's lance outranging his sword and finding weak points in his armor.

"Tch... Gods," Severa pulled her sword from her side and gave Cordelia one more hard glare before racing up to Stahl's side.

Cordelia's lance felt heavy in her hands. As she stared at the battle before her, her husband and daughter in dire danger, she felt the sting of self-deprecation that often haunted her, mocking in her own voice.

 _"I live to serve." What point is that if I can't even gather the strength or resolve to protect what is—_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a blunt force. The impact on her side caused one of her hairpins to dig into her head, and she felt a trickle of blood dripping down her cheek as she fell, dazed. The Risen knight growled over her, readying its spear to finish her off. Then it was blasted by a white ball of fire, and Tiki flew overhead, knocking the Risen away.

Her vision was cloudy from the blow, but she made out a gleaming in front of her face, amidst the dragon's dark back. She picked it up, and looked dully at the object in her hand.

The silver hairpin was always polished to a gleaming white, but it was now partially stained red. Cordelia's hand closed around it. She remembered the day she had received it... a gift from her best friend, as Sumia had joined the pegasus knights. " _It'll keep you safe! At least, that's what my dad said when he sent these."_ An uncharacteristic tear slipped from her eyes.

Then she looked up, and saw that Sumia's pegasus was backing up towards her. Cordelia's eyes traveled up to the back of the rider's head. Then the numbing pall slowly melted away, and she realized the Fell Dragon's deception. Sudden fury powered her limbs, and she leapt to her feet.

" _Hyaa...!"_

With a great leap, she launched herself off of the ground, and saw Sumia's face in profile as the facsimile turned to her for a moment, before it was knocked off of the pegasus and speared through the heart by Cordelia's lance. "You've done a laudable job of capitalizing on my emotional weaknesses...but she'd never leave home without her good-luck charm. The least you could do in your mockery would be to honor that." The pegasus disappeared into the wind behind them.

"How very like you," Sumia's voice whispered, "to get caught up in so small of a detail..."

* * *

"They've done it," Elysa breathed, and squeezed Morgan's shoulder as the boy leaned against her, clinging to her matching cloak. "They've overcome Grima's cruel tricks."

"Mother..." Morgan looked down, his bangs obscuring his eyes. "I— I'm sorry. I was blinded by childishness... I should never have followed you – well... the _other_ you – on such an evil path..."

"Unconditional love is a blessing, not something to be sorry for," Elysa smiled at him, brushing her hand along his cheek. "I don't fault you for whatever you did in another time."

"I just wish that things could've gone differently," Morgan said quietly. "I wish I had a chance to make a difference, to save Father, to save _you_... but I'm not strong, like Lucina." He sniffled. "I don't deserve to be called your son."

"Nonsense," Elysa stooped down to his level and grabbed him tightly. "Never say such a thing. No matter the time or place... our bonds will never be broken. There will always be a place for you."

Morgan looked up, smiling through his tears. "Mother... thank you," he hugged her back, burying his face in her shoulder. "Oh..."

Elysa had closed her eyes, but she opened them at the sudden glow before her. Morgan was engulfed in a white light, and his body had become even more transparent. "Mother... I think I can go now," he said, looking up at her with a mixture of fear and hope. "I think – I think I can be free." He began to drift away, fading into the light... a painfully reminiscent sight.

She grabbed his hand. "W-wait," her voice cracked. _Don't... don't leave me._

"Mother," Morgan pointed into the light, at a place that Elysa couldn't see. "Can't you tell? She's here to get me."

" **It's okay, Mommy."**

Elysa's heart broke at the sweet, familiar voice. "L-luci... is that you? I— I can't see you," she stared into the light desperately.

" **We're okay... everything will be okay. You can't beat Grima if you're busy being worried about Morgan, so let us take care of him, okay?"**

Elysa's arm shook, and slowly, she released Morgan's fading hand. He smiled at her as he drifted towards the portal to Naga's light.

 **"Like you said, the answers will always come to you** , **if you can be strong. So be strong for us — win for us, okay?"**

She dropped to her knees as the light began to fade and the darkness folded in around her again. She clung desperately to the small spark of hope that Morgan had given her, shielding the ember from the shroud around her.

"...Okay," she whispered, "I.. I love you."

* * *

 _ **The insect has arrived.**_

The Fell Dragon lifted his head and roared, his neck arching backwards and releasing a column of dark fire into the air. It descended down at the base of the neck, coalescing into the figure of a blue-haired woman.

He fixed his vessel's red eyes on the man and woman that dared approach. They bore twin swords, but one burned brighter than the other, seething with Naga's wretched light. Grima hissed.

" **Lucina... princess of the doomed future. You think to try your luck again, with your borrowed blade?"**

She lifted her head in defiance. "I brought more than Falchion from my future... Our lives are proof enough that hope will never die."

" **Then I will extinguish your life, and Hope with it."**

* * *

Lucina saw her father dash forwards, just as Grima's fire began to surge towards her. In the shades of heliotrope smoke and flame, a multitude of dark spires erupted from the dragon's back, far more than she could hope to dodge or cut back.

Chrom's white cloak drifted behind him, obscured by the miasma that separated them. Lucina stared into the flames. _If Father could withstand Naga's fire, perhaps I could..._ Then they hit her, and she was engulfed in a sensation like nothing she'd ever known. It was more of a sense of expiration rather than pain, as if her vitality was being burned out from within her. Falchion slipped from her hands.

A mighty roar ripped through the air, and in a gust of wind and a flurry of white scales, the flames fled from around Lucina's body. She cracked her eyes open, and saw the white dragon standing before Grima's attack, the spires piercing into her chest and wings.

" **You dare to think yourself our equal, d** **aughter of Naga. But your power is nothing compared to mine."**

The manakete struggled to lift her head, and Lucina saw Tiki's green eyes gleam amidst the dark fire. **"You are not the destroyer of worlds that you believe yourself to be, Grima,"** her voice rang through the air. In a blinding flash of light, the manakete's form disappeared, banishing the flames into oblivion. Returned to her human form, Tiki fell to her knees, into a pool silver dragon's blood.

"Lady Tiki!" Lucina ran forwards, her boots slipping slightly in the blood as it ran down the Fell Dragon's back. She scooped up the green-haired woman in her arms as Tiki slumped over, and dragged her away.

The oracle cracked open her eyes. "Lucina..." She lifted a finger weakly and pointed. "The final hour is here."

* * *

Chrom had bolted through the outskirts of Grima's attack, the Emblem parting the dragon's fire around him. Caught off-guard and distracted by Tiki and Lucina, Grima's human iteration didn't notice Chrom until he had almost reached the base of the dragon's neck.

Falchion pulsed with power as Chrom caught sight of the spot he'd been looking for: between the massive plates of scaled armor, a weak point at the base of the dragon's neck. _Will Naga's fang be enough...?_

" **...RRAGH!"**

He staggered as a blast of dark lightning struck his side. Elysa's face was suddenly in his, the Fell Dragon's aura blazing in her eyes. **"I will not be so easily defeated,"** she growled.

Chrom answered with a swing of his blade. Falchion's glowing edge cut through the very air surrounding Grima's human body, and Chrom felt Naga's power surge through his veins and into the blade. It pained him to see the blood running down Elysa's arm where Falchion had found its mark, but Chrom steeled himself. _This has to be done. I_ will _save her._

Grima summoned an orb of dark magic, hurtling it down at Chrom. He lifted the Emblem, and the shield flashed with light as it nullified Grima's spell. Chrom lunged again, landing another blow.

He slashed relentlessly, on and on, and soon Grima began to weaken, as she slowed down. A panic flickered across the red eyes, as Chrom closed in, striking a grave wound into her upper chest. Grima tried to grab onto the blade to pry it from her shoulder, but shrieked in pain, the divine glow searing into her hands. She dropped to her knees. Chrom kept Falchion pinned into her.

" **How... how do you possess** _ **this**_ **much of Her power...?"**

"My strength comes from Naga; but it also comes from within myself," Chrom looked down at the blood staining Falchion's pommel, an unnatural dark red, almost black. He adjusted his grip on the sword, and Grima shuddered. "You underestimated the ties that bind me to what I believe in – the strength that stems from diligence, loyalty... and love."

" **Heh..."** Grima slumped backwards, off of the end of the blade, and sat in a crumpled heap on the spot at the base of the dragon's neck. **"So be it. Such a waste... that my miscalculations cost us this chance."** She looked up at Chrom with one last flare of defiance. **"But your victory is not enough to secure this world's future. You know that, do you not?"**

Chrom took a menacing step forwards, standing above her. "We don't often have much choice in destiny, nor do we know what the future holds." he responded. "But I choose to live the life I've been given — and claim this destiny as my own."

" **So be it,"** Grima repeated. She bowed her head, blue hair obscuring her face. **"Finish this idle colloquy, then."**

Chrom lifted Falchion above his head.

* * *

Elysa felt the darkness slowly slip away around her as Grima had weakened throughout the fight. By the time her clone was on the ground, she could step forwards, and almost feel the dragon's scales under her feet. She saw Chrom ready the finishing blow.

Her heart overflowed with emotion. _We've won..._

Time began to slow down.

 _ **YOU may have won... but OUR victory is yet to come, my child.**_

Grima's voice echoed in her mind. Elysa looked down at her right hand, where the Mark glimmered with the Fell Dragon's magic. She ran her thumb over it.

 _That's right._ Reality crept in, cold and unwelcome. _There is no solace, no true redemption for me while the shadow of Grima persists._

 _ **Indeed, my dear... we are one. Now, and forever... until the end of time.**_

* * *

 _Until the end of time._

A different scene came to her, a memory from what seemed so long ago. The scent of flowers in the air. The soft touch of the white silk sleeves around her arms. The slight chill of the gold band, slipped onto her finger. His warm hands, around hers.

 _Until the end of time._

* * *

"We are one," she whispered.

Two halves of a greater whole — a whole greater than even the Fell Dragon.

And then the answer came to her, and she knew what she had to do.

Elysa reached forwards, and felt herself pulled into the figure sitting on the ground. She reached into the deep well of power and magic that resided within her, slipping into the present and tethering herself to Grima within her corporeal body. A blade of dark lightning sprang to life in her grasp, and she lifted it just in time to catch Falchion as the sword came down.

"What?" Chrom's startled voice was clear and present before her, no longer muffled through some strange slip of time. Elysa smiled, before she looked up. The blade in her hand slowly turned from black to the deep gold of her thunder magic.

"Chrom..." she met his wide blue eyes, and felt the resistance on her parry immediately lessen as he recognized her.

"Elysa? What—"

"I'm sorry." She stood, and Chrom staggered backwards as she turned Falchion out of the way as she spun the lightning blade in her hands.

"What are you doing?"

She let her eyes linger on him for a long moment, seeking comfort in his familiarity, a warmth that spread within her fire of hope amidst the ancient essence of the Fell Dragon.

 _ **"What are you doing?"**_

"I'm sorry," she repeated, this time, to the soul within her.

 _Checkmate._

Elysa closed her eyes, and plunged the blade into her chest.

The effect was immediate. The searing pain she'd felt at the Dragons' Table flooded back, but this time, it manifested in a great wave, burning as poison did when it was drawn from a wound. She leaned into the ebbing tide.

" **NO!"**

She wasn't sure if the howl came from her own mouth or Grima's, but the Fell Dragon's roar of horror shook the skies. A visible specter of shadow rose from Elysa's body, twisting around her, desperately seeking safety, but finding no refuge. She exhaled deeply, and Grima wilted away, hollowing her out as he went.

The skies began to clear.

The purple and black smoke drifted off into the wind, trailing along the sleeves of her cloak. She lifted her arm, watching the darkness slowly fade away, and dispelled her blade of magic, stained with her blood. The physical pain of her wound suddenly actualized itself, and she clutched at her heart, shuddering.

"Elysa," Chrom's voice cracked. "What have you done?"

She swayed dangerously, and he dropped Falchion and the Emblem to rush to her side, catching her in his arms as she fell. Her body felt impossibly light. The blood that ebbed from her wounds was no longer a malevolent black, but a soft red, spreading across her roughspun shirt. Chrom clung to her, cradling her to his chest. Her frame began to glow with a soft white light.

"I'm... sorry," she said again.

"...Mother!" Lucina's voice and rapid footsteps heralded their daughter's arrival.

"Luci..."

"Oh, Mother..." Lucina reached out to touch Elysa's arm, tears spilling from her eyes.

"I did... what had to be done," Elysa said quietly. She reached up to touch Chrom's cheek. "Please... please understand. Please... don't hate me."

Chrom fought back a sob. "You can't leave us like this. You promised – you promised to never leave my side again."

"Part of me will always be with you," Elysa smiled, with great difficulty, and she looked at her daughter. The light around her was growing more intense, and she realized, dimly, that her body was fading away. _It is right_ _... that Grima and I meet our end together._ "I love you both... but I had to do this for more than just us."

"I know," Lucina whispered. "I know, Mother. It's... it's oka—"

"Elysa, _stop,_ " Chrom's hands began to shake, and he looked over his shoulder desperately. "Tiki... Lady Tiki, help! Somehow, _please—_ "

There was the soft embrace of nothingness beckoning to her, and numbness began to spread through her senses. Elysa reached up and turned Chrom's face towards hers, and she smiled at him softly, the tears that welled in her eyes turning to flecks of light around them. "We'll meet again, my love... in a better life."

Then the world turned resplendent around her, and she slipped from consciousness.

* * *

When the brilliance faded, they were no longer standing on the dragon's back, but at the peak of the volcano below them. The island was covered in green, and the clouds parted and scattered to reveal the sun low in the sky, dyeing the landscape a triumphant gold.

"He's gone," Lucina looked up at the sky in wonder. "He's gone, for good. But... Mother—"

"Don't say it. She's not gone," Chrom interrupted, shaking his head in spite of the crippling grief in his heart. "It's not over... she's out there, somewhere. And I'll find her," he swore. "Even if it takes me the rest of my days, I will find her..."

"You're right," Lucina wiped away at her tears. "We'll find a way to bring her home."

"Too many times have I watched loved ones lay down their lives for the sake of the greater good..." Cordelia murmured, leaning against Stahl's horse. "This time, I must hold on to faith that things will be different."

"Tch." Aversa sneered. "As if she could stay dead. I won't accept it."

Chrom looked around at what was left of his Shepherds, searching for the right words to say.

"Chrom," Tiki's soft voice interrupted his thoughts. "Elysa has secured us the most precious gift... the future. It falls upon us to protect what we have been given."

"Yes... and I vow to give my all to the healing that this realm needs. When Elysa returns, I want her to see what her sacrifice has brought. For now... we head back to Ylisse."

"I will return you to the shores of your continent," Tiki offered, "but I must go my own way, back to the Mila Tree. My strength is spent; I must rest."

She summoned the same magic that had taken them to and from Mount Prism, and Chrom felt the volcanic stone under his feet replaced with soft sand. The sun sank towards the waves, casting its light into a dazzling reflection on every crest. Chrom looked out into the sea, and saw Origin Peak sinking back beneath the water.

The Shepherds slowly began to turn and leave, first Cherche and Kellam on Minerva, then Cordelia and Stahl aboard the paladin's horse. Chrom hovered, staring out onto the horizon. Lucina paused, settling onto Aversa's saddle.

"Father?"

In the distance, the black peak slipped into obscurity. Chrom bowed his head. "...Let's go home." He curled his hands into fists at his sides, taking a step away from the ocean. He paused, becoming aware of a small object pressing into his palm, and he slowly lifted his hand. He saw the chain shimmering between his fingers, and his heart skipped a beat. And nestled in the cusp of his hand, her tear-shaped pendant caught the fading light.

* * *

 **I'm inserting my AN here, since I decided to post the epilogue with the final chapter all at once.**

 **Two years ago, I began this journey, and I can't believe that I've reached the finish line. I couldn't have done it without the support of all you wonderful readers, and the artists that worked with me and encouraged me along the way. Fire Emblem has had an incredible and profound impact on my life since I first got into it a few years ago, and it's been there for me through thick and thin, cheesy though it may be.**

 **I hope that you've enjoyed this adventure with me, and thank you so very much for seeing it through all the way to the end. If you have the time to drop a review as a parting note, I would be incredibly grateful :)**

 **Much love,**

 **Sil~**

* * *

 _One Year Later_

"Hey, 'versa! Welcome back."

Aversa's eyebrow twitched. "Don't call me that," she muttered, scowling down at the young man leaning against the fence. Her pegasus trotted past him and into the stables haughtily, flicking him with the end of its long grey tail.

"Cold as ever," Inigo sighed. "Anyway, I'm looking for Lu. Have you seen her around anywhere?"

"I just got here," Aversa stepped down from her saddle. "So no, I haven't seen the crown princess wandering around the countryside between here and Plegia. But if I run into her, I assume you want me to let her know that her loverboy is on the prowl?"

"On the _prowl?_ " Inigo pouted, then grinned. "I do not _prowl,_ milady, I _gallivant._ "

"Lovely. Gallivant away. I'm busy."

Not wanting to risk her temper, Inigo lifted his hands in resignation and spun on his heels, disappearing around the corner. Aversa sighed and started unsaddling her pegasus.

" _Daisy is sad."_

She didn't meet Targon's brown eyes, fixing her gaze instead on the bridle as she slipped it off of his muzzle. "What do you want me to do about it?"

" _Something. You always say these days we do something good, when something can be done."_

"Tch." Aversa tossed the saddle and bridle onto their respective hooks. She paused a moment, then rolled her eyes at herself. She stepped up onto the feeder-box and looked over the divider to the left of Targon's stall. The resident ebony pegasus was hunched at near the back, not even bothering to look up as Aversa peeked her head over. Elysa's white and blue tassels still hung on the side of the saddle, gathering dust on its hook.

Aversa shook her head, and gave Targon's mane a light tug. "That is indeed what I say, dear... but there's nothing I can do for her, that I haven't already endeavored to. Only time can heal a broken heart."

* * *

"M-mom! You're supposed to be in bed! That's what ' _bed_ rest' means, you know?" Owain skidded down the hall as he rushed after Lissa, Lon'qu not far behind, striding with the grace that his son lacked.

Lissa's blonde hair had grown out, and laid loose across her back and shoulders, her old white hairpiece still draped across the top. She took fast, purposeful steps, but was more than slightly encumbered by the swell of her belly.

"He's right, for once," Lon'qu muttered. "Stop running around. You're excused from the council meetings, anyway."

"Yeah, of course I'm right," Owain huffed. "She's carrying _me,_ the _D_ _estined Son!_ He who shall—"

"I'm not excused from being a sister," Lissa interrupted, "just because I'm going to become a mother." She didn't slow her pace. "And it becomes my problem when Chrom – and by proxy, Ylisse – needs my support to function at any sort of leadership level. Lucina's busy enough trying to compensate for her mother's absence, the least I can do is haul her father's weight." Reaching the end of the hall, she shoved open the double doors that led to the council chambers, letting them swing shut on her husband and son.

The guards stepped out of her way as she wobbled onwards, towards her place at the council. Chrom and Lucina were already seated there, Chrom at the head of the semicircular table, and Lucina to his right. Lissa scowled at the way Chrom's circlet sat crookedly on his head, and adjusted it as she plopped herself down.

"Good afternoon, Aunt Lissa," Lucina murmured. "I hope you're well today."

"Fit as a fiddle," Lissa grinned, patting her belly. "He's quiet today, for once — I'm trying to enjoy it before he's running around and never shutting up like the adult version..."

Lucina laughed. "Owain can be quite the handful, yes..."

Lissa looked at her brother, who was staring past the table and out the stained glass window, a glazed look in his eyes as he studied the colorful silhouettes outside. He hadn't even reacted when Lissa adjusted his headpiece, idly turning the band on his left ring finger, lost in thought. Lissa sighed. Being Exalt had suited Emmeryn far more than it did Chrom. He was a fine leader in battle and spirit — but his heart guided his blade, words, and actions alike. Without his tactician, he often lacked the wherewithal to appraise matters from a diplomatic perspective.

It had been a very long year.

One of the hierarchs cleared his throat. "If it please you, Your Grace, Princesses... shall we begin?"

Lissa kicked Chrom under the table. He blinked. "Hm? Oh. Yes, you may proceed."

The hierarch lifted his half-moon spectacles up onto the bridge of his nose, and looked down at the sheaf of yellow parchment on the table before him. "As far as reports and numbers go, Your Grace, Ylisse is thriving. Areas with food shortages have dwindled greatly since our official alliance with Plegia and Ferox has come to fruition, and Queen Aversa has done a great deal to curb the bandit activities along the border."

"Don't let her catch you calling her 'Queen,'" Lucina laughed. "You know she does what she can to refrain from Plegia returning to a monarchy."

"Er—" the hierarch made a swift scribble on his notes, producing a quill from somewhere within his robes. "R-right, milady, of course. It is... a force of habit, I suppose. Where were we now? Oh, yes:

Regna Ferox, on the other hand, still seems to be rather disorderly. Khan Flavia is a fine ruling khan, but with the time for a new tournament drawing near, the complete lack of a successor for the west-khan has proven... difficult to mitigate, in terms of whom shall represent west-Ferox."

"It's not our place to overly meddle in Feroxi affairs," Lissa said pointedly. "We made an alliance — not some sort of empire with Ylisse at its pinnacle. If Flavia requests our aid, we'll lend it in a heartbeat, but until then, I don't think we should intervene." Lucina nodded her agreement.

"Very well then," the hierarch nodded, and made another note. "Now... the next item on our docket... Speaking of successors, we have our own to worry about."

Lucina frowned. "Is there... someone who takes issue with me, my lord?"

"No, no, of course not, Princess... it is just that there is only _one_ of you, you see. Not that we'd ever anticipate any calamity to fall upon you or your father, but it can be a precarious thing, having only a single heiress to the throne, should something befall our Exalt."

"There's _me,_ if push comes to shove," Lissa huffed. "And _him,_ " she jerked her thumb at her belly.

"Yes, my Lady, but the point of the matter is..." he looked at Chrom, uneasily. "...it has been a considerable time since Ylisse has had a Queen. On behalf of the people, it is our recommendation that the Exalt would seek a new—"

"No."

Chrom's refusal was immediate. It had been doubtful before then that the exalt had even been paying attention, but now he brought his gaze from the world outside the window to the old, hunched man before him. The hierarch flinched a little under Chrom's steel glare. "Y-your Grace, I mean no disrespect to the memory of our late Queen El—"

"Don't speak of her as if she's dead," Chrom interrupted harshly. "You, nor anyone else, has any right to speak like that in my court." Lucina looked away, emphatic of her father's pain. "You will _not_ tarnish hope in my presence."

"You cannot spend the rest of your days chasing after a ghost, Your Grace," another one of the councilors spoke up quietly. "Ylisse needs her Exalt."

"You're all dismissed." Chrom stood from his seat, sending it clattering back away from the table. "We're done for today."

"Chrom, _wait,_ you can't just—!" Lissa looked at him incredulously, but the exalt stormed out of the room, his blue cloak disappearing through the doorway.

He burst into his chambers, slamming the door shut behind him. He knew that Lucina would be wise enough to give him space, but couldn't trust his sister to do the same. He leaned heavily against the back of the door, trying to diffuse the rage and despair writhing in his stomach. Sliding to the ground, he bowed his head over his knees. His circlet slipped over his eyes, and he tore it off angrily, glaring at the Brand and sapphire set in the middle, flinging it across the room. It clattered loudly against the marble floor, coming to a skittering halt in front of his nightstand.

 _Their_ nightstand. He stood up slowly, ashamed of his sudden childish outburst, with an otherworldly sense of guilt at what Elysa would say if she saw him like this. Crossing the room, he stooped down and retrieved the circlet. He caught sight of her white flower hairpiece, resting behind the bedside candle. It still maintained its magical, ethereal perseverance and freshness beneath a thin layer of dust. Chrom picked it up gingerly, blowing on it, and the cloud of tiny particles drifted away. A strand or two of her dark blue hair clung to the clasp. He ran one through his fingers.

 _You broke our promise._ His heart clenched, and he gritted his teeth, his hand shaking as he put the hairpiece into the drawer and out of sight. He sat on the edge of the bed, and buried his face in his hands.

"You said you'd never leave me again... Where are you, Elysa?"

The vacant room gave him no reply.

He reached for the side of his belt, where her necklace was bound to Falchion's scabbard. Unwinding the chain, he leaned back onto the bed, dangling the pendant above his head and staring at it as it slowly rocked back and forth.

He remembered that day, before the wars had crashed down upon them, when he'd gone looking for her in the markets of Ylisstol. At first sight, he thought it strange to see his tactician with a new sword at her hip, wrapped in her Grimleal cloak, stooping down at a stall selling something as delicate as crystal jewelry. But when he saw her smile at the little bauble, he found himself smiling as well at the way her eyes shimmered with fascination like the stones and silver. And though she had remained seemingly aloof and closed off to his invitation to the council, when he watched her walk away up the road to the palace, his heart wanted nothing more than to follow her.

 _I'll always follow her. She's with me still..._ I _still have to keep_ my _promise to keep searching for her._ He rolled the chain back up, looping it around his belt as he sat upright. I _don't care what anyone else thinks or wants from me._ Gathering his resolve, he threw his court cloak off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. He slipped into into his old jerkin and boots, clipping on his slightly rusted silver pauldron and tattered white cloak, and left the circlet on the nightstand.

Chrom made it out to the stables, shoving past anyone who gave him so much as a questioning look. He had saddled his white horse and was making his way out the main gates when a pegasus landed in his way. Its red-haired rider looked at him sternly.

"Where do you think you're off to, alone and looking like that?"

He narrowed her eyes at her. "I need some air. You've no right to challenge me anyway, Cordelia."

The knight-captain shifted her weight as her pegasus turned to face Chrom. "You've grown more and more obstinate by the day... Your Grace. I'd think _I_ of all people should be the one to be most concerned with your safety, yes? I can tell well enough when you're in one of your moods _._ "

"Cordelia," Chrom was unwilling to raise his voice at one of his most trusted and long-time companions, but impatience was spurring him on. "...if I'm not back in a few hours, send out as many search parties as you want. But trust me to take care of myself. I can handle whatever's out in the nearby fields."

"The nearby fields..." Cordelia echoed, and he saw her expression change as she understood. "...Alright. Go. But be careful. We need you, Chrom."

"So does she," he said, and rode past the pegasus knight.

He took off down the dirt road, past the outskirts of Ylisstol's boundaries, and through Ylisse's southern countryside. He rode through the thick woods, the charred remains of some old trees reminiscent of the battle that had taken place at Lucina's first coming, black amidst the new greenery. He rode past Southtown, beyond the woods, bustling and thriving with life. He crossed the footbridge over the small stream, and came to his destination, turning his horse off the road and onto the grassy knolls.

Chrom swung off of his saddle, breathless from the breakneck speed that he'd taken. The steed was also obviously tired, and turned to take a drink from the nearby stream. Chrom gave it a glance, but was confident that it wouldn't sprint away while his back was turned. He walked out further into the field.

The grass was plush and thick, rolling over small, gentle hills here and there. He stood in the midst of it, breathing in the scent of the green breeze, laced with the sweet tangs of spring. He tipped his head back, turning his face towards the cloudless sky.

 _Naga... if you still watch over me, hear my prayer._

* * *

"Wake up, love."

Elysa opened her eyes. Oblivion had been so peaceful, so silent. Now she found herself standing in a world of white light, almost painfully bright. She blinked a few times, and saw the source of the voice. The woman took a step towards Elysa, tucking a strand of her long blue hair over her ear, and smiled down with warm grey eyes.

"Mother...?"

Ellaria smiled. "You know me once more. I am relieved..." She took Elysa's hands in hers, with the softest, gentlest touch, and kissed the tips of her daughter's fingers. Elysa saw that the back of her hands were clean, unmarked — Grima's sigil was gone.

"Where are we? Is this the afterlife?"

"No, my sweet. This is the in-between."

Fear rose in Elysa's heart. "The in-between? Why am I— am I stuck here? Is my soul trapped or—"

"Hush, stop rambling," another voice grumbled.

Elysa spun around, and she saw the dark mage pinching the bridge of her nose irritably. Beside her, a girl dressed in soft pink clothes smiled apologetically.

"Come on, Tharja, be nice," Sumia said.

"Tharja... Sumia..." Elysa's eyes went wide. "I'm — I'm so sorry, that I wasn't able to..."

"Apologies aren't allowed here," Sumia chided.

Elysa bit her lip. "If you're all here, what does this—?"

"More importantly, _you're_ here because we called you here." Her mother explained, squeezing her hands soothingly. "This place, between worlds, is the only place where we can truly meet with you, and show you along to the next step of your journey."

"My journey?" Elysa remembered the battle atop the Fell Dragon's back. It was so long ago... but also felt just a moment past. "But I thought that once Grima was destroyed, I would... I would cease to exist."

"You are more than just Grima's vessel, Elysa," Sumia said sweetly. "You've proven that time and time again. So Naga is giving you a choice now; the opportunity to know that the world you saved is beautiful, and filled with joy and peace."

"A choice..."

Ellaria nodded. "You can come with us, and rest in peace. Or you can return."

Elysa looked at each of them in turn. _R_ _eturn...?_

"D-do you know – can you tell me if Chrom and Lucina are alright?"

"They grieve, as they have every right to," Tharja sighed. "Chrom, almost to a fault. He's stubborn as a mule."

"Unconditional love is not a fault," Sumia murmured, "it's a blessing, as someone wise once said." She smiled at Elysa. "It brings me so much joy to see how happy you'd made him. If you choose to go back... he's still waiting for you."

"But if you desire peace, and rest," Ellaria added, "then that is your right to choose as well. You've served the world and what is good to the very end, and no more could be asked of you. Many would choose the reprieve of Death's embrace... it is one form of the true peace that some spend their entire lives in pursuit of."

Elysa stared off into space. Perhaps it was just her wishful imagination, but she thought she could see Lucina and Chrom sitting at a table in the palace, beside Lissa, before a large stained glass window. "I... how could I not go back, knowing I have the choice to?" She smiled, a little sadly, at the memory of their warmth and love. "It would be wrong for me to claim peace as an endgame prize, so long as there is the hope that comes from life's relentless pursuit of the future."

"I knew she'd say something flowery like that," Tharja sighed.

Ellaria kissed her daughter's forehead. "Then go now, my love."

"Wait, _now_?" Elysa looked up at her mother, bewildered. "But I just got to see you all again, and I have to say good-bye already?"

"This isn't good-bye, Elysa," Sumia said gently. "We'll always be waiting for you on the other side."

Then the light abruptly swallowed them all, and Elysa felt a sudden, sharp rush of air in her lungs, accompanied by the distinct scent of a grassy field.

* * *

Chrom whipped around at the sudden illumination behind him, brighter than the sunlight pouring over the rest of the world. His horse whinnied in fright, dashing over to his side. He grabbed the reins, wrestling the beast into submission before running towards the glimmering vortex before him.

The light drifted away into the air with a wind from another world. As his view cleared, he saw her standing in the grass, her hair stirred by the breeze. She wore the same black and gold cloak, but the Grimleal sigils were gone, as was the Mark on her hand, hanging at her side.

"Oh, gods," he whispered. "If this is a dream, don't be so cruel as to wake me now."

She turned slowly and looked up at him, and when he saw the life in her visage, he knew it was real. He let go of his horse and rushed to her, hoisting her off the ground as they collided.

She laughed, tears of joy making her grey eyes gleam in the sunlight. "Hello, my love..."

"Elysa," Chrom's voice cracked. Her body had physical weight, unlike the last time he'd held her. Her scent flooded over him, and he buried his face in her shoulder. "Oh, Elysa..."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, letting out a slight yelp of surprise as he let himself fall to the ground, cushioning her fall with his body. She rolled over, and he tucked her into his side, wrapping his arms around her. He pressed his forehead to hers, and she cupped his face in her hands.

"It's over now, isn't it? Everyone is safe now...?"

"Yes... It's all over now. And... as long as you're by my side, we're safe. I'll always keep you safe – I'll never let you go again." Chrom slipped his hand into her hair. "Oh, there are so many things I have to tell you, so many things I want to—" She cut him off, kissing him deeply.

When he pulled back, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she laughed again. He closed his eyes, letting his head rest on the grass beside hers. She leaned against his shoulder, and he felt her whisper in his ear,

"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know."

"I'm not taking a—" he stopped as he recognized his own words in her teasing, and grinned, shaking his head. Without warning, he rolled over and scooped her up into his arms again.

"...Let's go home."

* * *

 _Another year later._

Elysa sank back into Chrom's chest as he sat behind her, supporting her weight in his arms. With great effort, she slowed her breath against the aching pain. She dimly heard the sound of the baby crying.

"You did it," Chrom said, brushing her hair off of her sweat-soaked face. "You okay?"

"I'm okay," she nodded, weakly lacing her fingers with his, reassuringly.

The midwife turned around with the newborn wrapped in a white blanket. She smiled at the Exalt and his Queen. "You have a son, my liege; your Grace." She passed the bundle to Lucina, who was waiting beside the bed.

"Here, Mother..."

The boy was placed in Elysa's arms, and Chrom held the blanket aside so that she could see the baby's face. She stroked the tuft of blue hair atop his head, and his crying stopped. His grey eyes cracked open to look up at her curiously. "Hello, Morgan," she whispered.

"...Yours will be a happy future."


End file.
